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by Anjelle
Summary: During a battle 10 years from now, Pirate King Luffy is caught in an explosion. Now he finds himself on the Whitebeard's ship the Moby Dick and all of the pirates who died at Marineford - such as Ace and Whitebeard - are alive. How did he end up over 10 years in the past and what will he do next? Side-story/prequel to "A Pirate's Resolve"
1. Backwards Battlefield

**Alright, so I got the idea for this while writing my current main fanfiction _A Pirate's Resolve_. It's sort of like a prequel but not. This takes place 10 years after the Marineford arc and by now Luffy has obtained the title of Pirate King. I'm not sure how often I'll update this because my main concern is still_ A Pirate's Resolve_ but I promise not to drop it (unless something bad happens). The story itself probably won't be too long (although if I get into it, it could end up really long) but I thought it would be a fun side-story to work on in my spare time. If you feel the need to read more then by all means check out _A Pirate's Resolve!_ It has longer chapters and a lot more out! Also, reviews are more than welcome!**

**Disclaimer: How many of you get the title? :D**

* * *

He appeared from the smoke and rubble of the open battlefield, the only one unscathed. The man stood tall, arms crossed in a bout of confidence as he watched the hundreds of others fight around him. His raven strands hid the better half of his face in shadows, leaving his grinning mouth as his most distinguishable feature.

A tall man stood across the battlefield. He clenched his teeth and gripped his bloodied arm, clearly in worse shape than his foe. His blue eyes never left his target and the proud man before him made his move. That _bastard_ hadn't broken a sweat. Captain's jacket hung over his shoulders, the man continued his smile and stretched. All of the destruction he had caused up to that moment was a warm-up for him – a test run. But he wouldn't lose. There was still one more thing he could do.

"Ready to give up?" the blue-eyed man asked as his battered body began to fail him. _Just a little longer._

At this his opponent laughed. The amusement in his voice made his stomach churn. He was a cocky bastard, no doubt.

"Got a secret move?"

"As a matter of fact…" The raven-haired man's interest grew. He stopped where he was and watched with a wicked grin. His broken opponent took the last of his energy to stand tall. He stretched out both of his hands: the right began to emit a bright light while the left was enveloped in blackness. "You haven't asked what my devil fruit is."

"Oh?"

"I'm afraid you've reached the end, Pirate King." His hands collided in his center and the darkness and light collided and spiraled around his figure.

"Afraid that's not enough."

"You're delusional!"

He aimed the two energies at the Pirate King and released them. They surrounded the man whose smile never faded. Both sides ceased their fighting to marvel at the sight in bewilderment. The black-haired man's allies stared in horror while his enemies laughed in victory. This was it. As he watched the figure clad in red vanish, he heard one final sound.

"Shishishi!"

Ace woke from his narcoleptic fit, greeted by the amused faces of his crew. He yawned and stretched and yet their eyes never left them. The man eyed them as a warning. He wasn't in the best of moods as of late. It felt great when he took Whitebeard's mark, but now he was faced with the important decision of whether he would take the title of second division commander. It was an honor to be considered, but it wasn't something he was prepared to take on. The crew still didn't know about his secret. Whitebeard still didn't know.

As he continued his internal battle, Thatch decided that it was time to bother the kid. He swung his arm over Fire Fist's shoulders and was met with a surprised jump. He let out a hearty laugh.

"Made your decision yet, kid?"

"I don't know."

"Just take it! We've been without a second division commander for-"

Before the man could finish, their ship was met with a massive explosion. Men scurried across the deck in a feeble attempt to survey the situation. It was chaos all around and in the middle was a thick, black smoke.

* * *

Ace's eyes almost jumped from their sockets. Who would _dare _attack Whitebeard's ship? Nothing like that had happened before. Whitebeard was untouchable – the strongest man in the world. No one messed with him or his crew.

He slowly rose to his feet and took a look around. No one knew what to do. They assumed there was a fire and prepared buckets of water to throw into the smoke. Before they had the chance to act, coughing came from the smoke. _A person?_

Whitebeard himself was not phased and remained calm as his sons scurried about in panicked confusion. He'd been through a lot during his reign and this was far from the least expected. Every once in a while some fool would attack him thinking he was strong and would later be pummeled by his crew. What concerned him was that there was nothing around them: no islands, ships, or even seakings. That was unnatural.

"Damn Yonko!" shouted a voice from the point of impact.

The smoke finally lifted to reveal a man dressed in a red Captain's jacket and black shorts that went just below his knees. His hair was dark ebony as were his eyes and a curved scar adorned his left cheek. He didn't seem strong or special in any way. In fact, he was rather scrawny.

The man straightened himself out and cussed under his breath as he dusted himself off. It was interesting to them that he was free of injury despite the impact he made. Then he paused and stared at the crowd on deck. He blinked twice with large, blank eyes before he casually waved their way. Then he took a look at the broken wood at his feet and slowly grasped the situation.

"Oh," he said simply, realization washing over him, "sorry about that."

Then he began circling around. It seemed he was searching for something and, after seeing no sight of it, simply grew in confusion. He noticed that he was out at sea and not in a battlefield. He tilted his head, folded his arms and let out an exasperated sigh. "Must've flown pretty far."

"Who are you?" Jozu asked the question everyone wanted to ask and the man's first reply was a burst of laughter.

"You don't know?" The crew shook their heads. "Well, it's not important."

Then his eyes fell on Whitebeard and he simply marveled at his presence. The strongest man in the world was before him, but that wasn't what elicited his reaction. No, this wasn't right. Whitebeard should not be there. Now he was starting to understand what the Yonko had done, or at least intended. This wasn't where he belonged.

"Oi, giant ossan," he called out, the crew baffled at his lack of manners, "you're alive?"

What had the stranger just asked? Was Whitebeard _alive?_ To them it sounded like a threat, but the old man interpreted it differently. This man was no enemy. He wasn't hostile or angry or anything more than simply interested in the Yonko. His question was sincere.

Many of the commanders blocked the path between the two protectively. They weren't about to allow that stranger attack him, even if he was no match for him. Whitebeard was getting old. He didn't need to use his strength unnecessarily. They were surprised when their Captain laughed. He wasn't weary of the boy in the slightest.

Seeing the Yonko's reaction, the stranger relaxed and sat down cross-legged with a smile. The two laughed together and then fell into silence. Whitebeard finished his study of the man and leaned back in his large chair. He rested his head on his fist and gave the man an odd look.

"Where are we, exactly?"

"The first half of the New World."

The man whistled and laughed at this. "I was flown pretty far! Shishishi!"

Ace's eyes narrowed. The stranger's laugh was oddly familiar. He had never seen him, though. Scanning his features once more, he noted that the man was probably in his late twenties. He didn't seem strong or intelligent. If it wasn't for his overdone arrival, no member of the crew would bother to look his way.

"Who are you, boy?" bellowed the old man, catching the attention of the stranger. He decided that he would comply. He was still relaxing on the charred and broken wood of the deck. His grin stretched further so that his mouth reached ear-to-ear. Then he stood.

"Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy."

Needless to say, everyone was shocked. This man claimed to be the Pirate King, a title given only to the one who obtained everything the world had to offer. They would laugh, but it was so ridiculous that they went quiet.

Ace was shocked for a different reason. This man had claimed to be his _brother._ He had to be mad. Something was not right about him. Pirate King or not, no one takes the name of his brother.

"Oi!" Ace shouted. The man turned to him. Once he saw his face his already large eyes doubled. Ace stepped forward in a rather intimidating stance. He wasn't going to let him lie about that. "Quit with the lies."

"Ace…" Luffy's eyes remained blank. He didn't know how to react to that and just kept watching, trying to understand how something like that was possible. Ace was dead. He died in his arms 10 years ago. Why was he there? Why was Whitebeard there? He continued to stare in a daze until his brother was right in front of him.

"Why don't you tell us the truth?"

"You know each other or something?" Marco interjected, curiosity reaching its peak. He saw the expression on the stranger's face and knew that something wasn't right. He had to know what that something was.

"Not at all," Ace shot back without hesitation."

"Yeah, we do," the man contradicted. He collapsed to the ground to try to calm down. There was too much going on in his head. He was starting to understand what the Yonko had done. Finally it was all making sense. But the situation was not in his favour. "He's my brother."

_This is bad._

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**A/N: And so it begins! *dramatic background music* I know the chapter is short but I'm really more looking content then length so the word count will probably vary a lot with this one. I hope you still like it. Tell me if you'd like it to be long or short or any ideas you have about it because I get writer's block very easily :P**

**Oh and for those of you who haven't read the main story, Luffy is now 27 and he's going to be a bit OOC because I'm trying to have him act more mature since he's now an adult and I'm trying to write it as though he's grown up, you know?**

**Until next time, my lovelies~**


	2. And it Begins!

**Disclaimer:If you feel like it you should check out my other fanfic A Pirate's Resolve. Shameless marketing FTW! :D**

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Everyone's eyes focused on the two boys, mouths agape and eyes enlarged. They hadn't expected that. They didn't even know that Ace had any family – or that said family told such exaggerated lies. Pirate King? No. The only Pirate King was Gold Roger and he'd long since been executed.

"You don't believe him, do you?" Ace asked, irritation growing with each avoided glance. They did and that just made him want to hit them all. That stranger couldn't be his brother. Luffy was still only a 16-year-old boy and, although there were similarities, he didn't have a straw hat. He carried himself differently as well. There was something off about him – something he couldn't trust. This man, whoever he really was, was no ordinary man.

"I don't blame you, Ace." The stranger was scratching his head and pouting in a childish manner. He sighed, as if disappointed, and looked into Fire Fist's eyes. He had managed to calm himself down despite his desire to run up and hug the bastard. This was no time for him to freak out. He needed to think, as hard as that was. "This shouldn't have happened."

"What, yoi?" Marco asked. He didn't think the stranger was an enemy because Whitebeard didn't and he trusted his Captain's judgement. This man also didn't seem to be lying – his expression was sincere. That was something he'd learned to notice over the years. It was a rare sight on a pirate, though.

"This isn't my timeline. Bastard Yonko sent me into the past." Luffy ignored their reactions and cursed himself internally. He should have figured his opponent had a power like that, but he didn't know because all of his opponents would disappear. That explained why. Of course, he underestimated him without even seeing the power he used. That was a stupid mistake. He'd done it before, but this was the first time his confidence had landed him with such dire consequences. It was great to see his brother again, but he knew Ace well. Ace was stubborn and once he believed something it was hard to change his mind. There was little hope for them to spend time together because of that. Also, he had to get back. His crew and allies were in danger. They were all badly injured. This was no time to play around in the past.

"Is that so?" Marco asked, accepting it immediately. Whoever he was, he was being honest. There was something in his eyes that told him so. The old man seemed to agree. "So, Oyaji, what should we do about this, yoi?" He turned to the Captain and awaited his orders, but could see from the corner of his eye that Ace was not pleased.

"You're just going to accept it? Just like that?"

"Doesn't seem like the type to lie, yoi."

"But-"

"He can stay if he chooses," Whitebeard declared, leaving no room for questioning. Ace clenched his fist and dropped the subject. If the old man said it was okay, he had no reason to object. The Captain made all of the decisions.

Luffy looked at Whitebeard with a large grin. It seemed that someone was on his side. He stood and walked nearer to the giant man. "So you believe me?"

"I've heard of that Devil Fruit before. It seems a man from West Blue recently ate it."

"Then I'll accept your offer," Luffy stated. He beamed up at the old Yonko who smiled slightly back.

* * *

Though few dared to approach him, all of the crewmembers were curious about that self-titled Pirate King. He sat at the far end of the dining hall, stuffing his face with food and booze. The chef had trouble keeping up with both him and Ace, who was seated at a table near him. All of them marveled at his appetite and the fact that he was even worse than their own infamous black hole. So many questions ran through their heads as they watched. This was the man who claimed to be the strongest in the sea. He was said to have attained all the world had to offer and yet here he was eating all of their food and drinking their rum.

"Have your fill yet, yoi?" Marco took his seat next to the man as he devoured another chunk of meat. He was drawn to the man for one reason or another. The rest of the crew quieted themselves so that they could hear their conversation. Marco was the only one willing to approach him but everyone wanted to know more. This was their chance.

"Nope."

"Didn't think so." He watched as the man with the scar shovelled more into his mouth. It was disgusting but impressive. Luffy realized who he was talking to. He remembered Marco from his time – they had become quite close allies over the years. And drinking buddies. This Marco didn't know him, though. They first met when they fought alongside at Marineford, which clearly hadn't happened yet.

"Thanks Marco," Luffy mumbled between bites. He had always missed the chance to tell him that before, so he would say it now.

"For what?"

Luffy kept his voice down. He really didn't need everyone hearing them. Marco, he knew, could handle the information. The rest of the Whitebeard pirates' reactions were questionable. He knew the commanders and some others by name but still didn't know them well enough to say anything. "For what you're going to do for Ace."

"I take it you know me, yoi?" The man nodded with a smile. It was probably best that he didn't say any more for the time.

Ace approached them. His curiosity had overwhelmed his anger and irritation. And, with no one better to take out his frustration on, why not bother the liar? He noticed that the man was watching him approach. The Luffy he knew wouldn't be able to focus on anything other than food. Another difference. He sat down across from them. "If you're Luffy then where's your hat?" He had him now. Luffy always kept that with him.

"With Nami."

"Who?"

"My nakama. I didn't want to get blood on it so I let her hold onto it."

"You don't let anyone touch that hat."

"I do now." Luffy was glad that Ace had said "you" instead of "he". It showed that maybe there was some hope. He did want to talk to Ace before he left. It had been 10 years since he last heard that voice. Being in the past made it seem like every night he spent thinking of his brother were just dreams. It was eerie and yet he couldn't be more excited. He didn't want to show that, though. He knew that if he freaked out over it they would start asking questions. Was he supposed to tell them about Ace's death or not? He would have to think it over before making that decision.

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**A/N: So yeah, like I said the chapters for this story will remain pretty short unless I really start getting into it like with my other story. It should start picking up around chapter 4. And just a warning that I probably won't update every day like I do with my other story so just a heads up.**

**To my lovelies~**

**RoXaS707: Thank you :D Glad you love it!**

**Hopelesslyhope: Thank you! Well, he's a little smarter :P He's still pretty...slow...hehehe**

**Natylol: Here's your update!**

**XxSaorixX: It's more that he's in denial XD He'll snap out of it though! Probably...**

**AkaNeko-san: I haven't either but you would think there'd be one around. I mainly decided to write this because it sounded kinda fun. And Ace is in denial XD He notices the similarities it's just a lot for him to take in.**

**YingYang21: Here's an update!**

**Urock: Updated the next day ;)**

**scratchart123: Lol thank you for that, it was awesome 3**

**kuroivy: I did! But I might not come with another update tomorrow just because this story takes a back-seat to A Pirate's Resolve. **

**Son Goshen: It's Luffy, of course he's going to screw up the timeline! :D Yes, yes there will be lots of drama.**

**bbhelen3162: Glad you like both of my stories! I think it's going to be fun messing with Pirate King Luffy and Ace...hehehe...**

**boby333: Thank you!**

**Zinfer: I do have a bad habit of making tragedies hehehe...glad you will try it out!**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Well at the point where the story's at, young Luffy hasn't started his adventure yet, so it all depends on how long he'd kept in the past. I'm thinking he might end up staying for a long time, though, since he doesn't know how the hell to get back (I do, but he doesn't because he's Luffy and he's not all that quickwitted). And the answer to your other question is in this chapter :P**

**Darkspider: Glad you like it! I'm just looking forward to writing about all the problems this is going to cause XD**

**Lily Noir: Muahaha yes I have so much evil planned for this story :3 I'm going to decide the length by chapter 5 or 6, but I'm getting a lot of ideas so I'm thinking it's going to be long. He probably will stay on the Moby Dick, for most if not all of it. Or at least with Ace. Lol that's a hilarious idea XD While reading your comment I came up with two possible endings so thank you for your review :D Let's see how this goes.**

**angelrider13: Lol I take it you like it? XD I'm glad you like it, I look forward to your reviews as usual!**

**Inori. D: Thanks, but honestly right now I'm not sure where it's going to end up. It could end up with him changing/stopping the war in some way or he could end up leaving beforehand. The only thing I've really decided on is that whatever he does isn't going to affect his time (it'll be explained when I get to that point of the story) and that's about it. I don't start planning out the plot of a story until I get really into it so for now, as Luffy would say, it's a mystery! :D And don't worry, there are many things about Luffy that will remain unchanged. It's just going to be a little while before he starts acting like his good old self because I really such at writing characters when I first start stories. Need to get used to it again! Thanks for the review!**

**(Wow, there were a lot of reviews for this first chapter! Wonder which one of my stories will end up the most popular XD Thank you all!)**


	3. Converse Beneath the Stars

**Disclaimer: I started another One Piece fanfic! It's called ****_Reverse_**** and basically in it Luffy is a Marine and he's about to face-off against the Whitebeard pirates but he's been having dreams about Ace who he doesn't know and...ah I'm not goin to summerize it. Just go take a look at it if you're bored :P**

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Night had fallen and most of the crew headed to bed. It had been a long day. Aside from Marco, who was on watch, Luffy was the only one on deck. He'd claimed the Moby Dick's figurehead as his special seat and watched the water from there. He had thought about his situation all day and finally came to a decision, but he would have to wait in order to take action. No one trusted him yet. He hoped he didn't stay long enough for them to trust him to begin with. Every second he wasted there was another second wasted in his time…probably. Were they doing alright? His nakama needed him. This was no time to relax in the past! Alas, there was nothing he could do. His only hope was to find the bastard Yonko in this time and beat him up until he brought him back to where he belonged.

Marco heard the man grumble all the way from his spot in the crow's nest. Didn't seem to be enjoying himself. He turned around and looked into the galley windows; the lights were on and it seemed a few of his mates were enjoying themselves inside. Well, it didn't bother him. He didn't mind watch duty because it was one of the only chances he had for quiet relaxation. Of course, he still had to keep an eye out for any ships.

The galley door opened and Ace stepped outside. Marco raised an eyebrow. It looked like the most stubborn of them all really did hold an interest in the so-called Pirate King. Marco might get some entertainment.

Ace approached Luffy quietly. Why was he even out there? He didn't believe the man, so why was he compelled to be near him? Why did he want to ask him more? It was so frustrating! Still, he was there so he might as well try to converse.

"I-"

"I'm hungry," Luffy complained, mostly to himself. Ace resisted the urge to hit the older man. They just had dinner an hour ago! What kind of stomach did he have? What irritated him most was that he sounded just like Luffy when he said that…

"Got a death wish? The cook's gonna kill ya at this rate."

"Shishishi!" He took it as a joke, but Ace was actually being serious. If they kept him on the ship too long he'd eat all of their resources – a rather scary thought. "Sanji's like that too. I'm used to it!"

"Sanji?"

"The chef on my ship."

"Ah."

It went silent for a while. Ace wasn't really sure what he wanted to say to him. He just knew that there was something on his mind. And Luffy, being Luffy, was too distracted by his stomach to fully focus on the situation. Besides, what could he say? He wanted Ace to believe him. Oh…

"Remember Sabo?" he asked, hoping this would prove he really was his brother. He stared out at the sea in an attempt to avoid seeing Fire Fist's shock. It had been a long time since Sabo's death and even more time had passed for the Pirate King. He never forgot. Taking his silence as a cue, he thought of what to say next. "Wonder what he'd say if he were here."

"Probably just laugh."

Luffy blinked at this. Ace had responded, which was shocking enough, but he had replied instead of interrogating him. Slowly he turned to face the man behind him. Fire Fist was calm and watched the sea. His mouth curled up slightly into a sad looking smile.

"Yeah."

* * *

Ace woke in the late morn. He'd stayed up late watching the ocean and even waking as late as he did left him tired and lacking energy. After attempting to wake himself up further, he just felt grumpy. He knew he couldn't stay in bed any later, but he wasn't happy about it. So he groggily made his way to the deck. He opened the door and was met with a blinding sun that just aggravated him further. As his eyes adjusted, he surveyed the area. It was almost normal. Almost, but not quite.

Whitebeard was in his chair and Luffy sat right in front of him. Both were sharing sake – much to the displeasure of the Captain's nurses – even though the sun was still high in the sky. They got along for some reason or another and seemed to enjoy each other's company. Ace didn't remember Luffy being such a heavy drinker. What had changed over the years?

"Oi, Ace!"

He sighed when he heard his little-big-brother call him over. Adult Luffy was just as hopeless as the regular one, only in different ways. If they kept that up all day there was no doubt they'd both be drunk off their asses by the end of it. Instead of going over to him, he decided to head to where Thatch and Marco were standing. He was surprised to see Marco awake already despite staying up all night.

"What's up with them?"

"Don't know. Seems like they were the first two up, yoi."

Ace didn't like the sound of that. He knew Whitebeard to be quite a drinker, but the old guy normally waited until mid-afternoon to start. That pegged him as odd. It was even stranger knowing that the two were alone together in the morning. There was no doubt that something had happened, but he couldn't flat-out ask and would have to find some other way to figure it out. That didn't matter at the moment. For now he would simply observe. He had to admit that the man _could_ be his brother. After all, it was hard to deny it after he'd mentioned Sabo. And though he looked different, there were definitely too many similarities. But Luffy, Pirate King? Well, he _was_ one to follow through with his goals, so it wasn't impossible.

"Ace!" Luffy called him over again. He scowled. The man was persistent. He walked towards his brother and chosen Captain, trying to hold back a laugh at the goofy expression on Luffy's face. He was smiling weirdly and there was a tint of red on his face – an effect of the alcohol, no doubt. When he got nearer to them he turned to Whitebeard. There was a definite concern in his expression, but he kept quiet. Instead he hit his brother hard across the top of his head.

"Don't get drunk so early in the morning!"

"I'm not!" the Pirate King whined as he rubbed the sore spot on his skull. He was telling the truth, he wasn't drunk – yet.

Ignoring him, Ace turned his attention to his Captain. There was something off about him. No doubt Luffy had said something. "What is it, Oyaji?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, my son."

As the two continued talking and Luffy rubbed his head, someone exited the galley. The King's eyes widened at the sight. He recognized the man's dark skin, black hair and missing teeth. There was no doubt about it. Before he had a chance to think his body moved in his own. At blinding speeds he charged at Teach and pinned him against the galley wall.

"Gear 2nd." His body tinted red and let off steam as he readied his fist.

_This man has to die._

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**A/N: I am such a troll :D Please don't hurt me.**

**So I wasn't expecting to put this part in so soon but I had an urge to since not much can happen until I did. And the next chapter should be longer...probably...maybe...there's a 50/50 chance. This is basically the part that really kicks off the story so hopefully I manage to write the next chapter really well. Tomorrow I'll be updating ****_A Pirate's Resolve_**** and hopefully ****_Reverse_****. I'll try my best to start on chapter 3 of****_ Skip_**** if I have the time.**

**So...speculations? :D**

**Now, responding to my lovelies~**

**(Wow, quite a few reviews for this chapter. You guys are awesome! Thank you!)**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Lol awe sorry I made you wait X3 I wish I could just use psychic and teleport my thoughts onto the document so that I could update instantly but sadly the world is not that simple. Well he's decided now, though I didn't say what he decided. Hehehehe you got your wish *evil grin* And Blackbeard isn't worth Red Hawks, especially without his Devil Fruit :P A Pirate's Resolve will be updated tomorrow and chapter 4 of ****_Skip_**** will be up in at least 2 days!**

**YingYang21: Trust me, there will be many childish, classic-Luffy scenes throughout :D But they'll start happening a little later once I get everything going and Luffy gets used to staying with the Whitebeard pirates XD So just wait a little longer~**

**XxSaorixX: Lol what can I say? He's stubborn! At least now he's starting to believe him, though I can guarantee he still will when he sees what he's doing to his mate :P Right now I'm not sure how long he's going to stay with them. I'm sort of just letting it happen. If he stays with them for quite a while then he WILL run into his other self XD And it will be epic, I assure you. I'm glad you like it! Thanks so much for your support!**

**Son Goshen: Lol you know Luffy, he messes with everything! The only question is how he's going to do it ;) Hope you enjoyed this chapter~**

**Natylol: Well I am getting a lot of reviews for it! Who knows though ^^ And he was sent back 11 years. He's from 10 years after Ace dies, but he's sent back 11 to before Teach betrayed the Whitebeard pirates. Hope that helps out! Sorry for not explicitly saying 11, it's just Luffy's not sure himself how far back he went so I thought it would be inappropriate to put it.**

**Urock: Thank you! Here's an update for ya!**

**wanicrocodile: Thank you! :D**

**lunarmidnightwolf: I will continue, don't worry! No plans on dropping it or goin on hiatus unless something important comes up!**

**MatchboxLuffy: Thank you and I appreciate your opinion! I'll take it into consideration!**

**angelrider13: LOL YES XD It can and it did *dramatic background music***

**darkfalkon: Yeah but I figure he started talking about that after getting close to them, which I figure happens once he becomes 2nd Division Commander and tells Whitebeard his secret, which hasn't happened yet.**

**azab: Here's your update!**

**Shankie: You should still make one of your own! XD There aren't enough One Piece fics out there! Glad you like it though. I love you too my lovely~ /shot**

**AkaNeko-san: Lol yes XD Wouldn't that just be so awkward if it happened though? I mean if you had a brother who was 16 and you were 19 and the next time you see him he's 27 and the strongest person in the world? XD I just find the premise to be so awkward lol. He's seen Teach and he's pissed *dundundun* It did happen soon :D I made it happen. I'm awesome like that. (Sorry getting hyper while writing this lol)**

**mks 12 98: They're all curious but most people other than Marco and Whitebeard don't trust or believe him so they're not asking (yet). He's interested in getting home he's just not really sure what to do at this point. And yes, that's his plan but he doesn't know where to start looking for him. I'm going to go more into that in chapter 4 or 5 depending on how much I write about this little incident in the next chapter. Thanks for the review!**

**roy23: Here's your update!**

**(The Author's Notes just keep getting longer don't they? Ah well, it's a good thing!) **


	4. A Bit of Rage

**Disclaimer: Did anyone realize how old Marco is? I just realized last night! He's been with the Whitebeard pirates for at least 22 years! He's like in his 40s! :O I honestly didn't connect the dots until I was rewatching some episodes last night. Seriously! He does not look that old!**

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Luffy's blood was boiling. Seeing Teach's face made him fly into a rage. He was out for blood. Without turning, he heard every pirate on deck cock their weapons. If he continued with his punch they would shoot. That wouldn't be a big deal normally, but the commanders could use haki. After the initial attack, the rest would follow suit with swords and Devil Fruit abilities all going at him once. All of the possible outcomes played in his head in that instant. He didn't want to become one of his enemies but he couldn't let that_ monster _go. What was more important to him?

"The hell do you think you're doing?" Ace asked, his voice hoarse and riddled with anger. He was pissed. Just when he was about to accept that man's stories and claims he pulled something like that. _No one_ attacked his crew. No one.

"Sorry," Luffy started while attempting to stop his angry trembling, "but this filth has to die." His grip tightened around Teach's neck and the man began clawing at his throat as his supply of air was cut off. Luffy still held back his fist, but he wouldn't for much longer. Keeping Ace's crew safe was more important than earning their trust. It didn't matter what was changed in his time because of that. He didn't need the title of Pirate King or the strength he had. He would gladly give it up to save their lives. It wasn't like he could blame them for their actions, either. He was attacking their nakama. He was betraying them even though Whitebeard had allowed him to stay aboard. This was the ultimate crime to that crew who valued the lives of each of their members above all else.

Ace stared, waiting for any movements. Flames were rising from his fists and his shoulders as his anger flared. This man wasn't Luffy. He felt like a fool for believing him. His brother would never react that way to anything. He wouldn't try to kill someone for no good reason. "Bastard! Let him go!"

Luffy flinched at that. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to hate him. It was a tough decision, whether to save his brother or not. But he'd rather be hated and have Ace alive than be trusted and have his brother killed. Still…

"Lower your fist," Whitebeard demanded, his tone still calm and unwavering. Luffy's eyes met his but his stance remained unchanged. His words seemed to just fuel his anger even more.

"You wanna die, Ossan?" he asked, his voice sharp and deadly as he fought back his urge to kill the man he'd pinned to the wall. The commanders took this as a threat and aimed their weapons directly at his head. They knew now how strong the man was – his will was making them dizzy and he wasn't even using haki. Pirate King or not, he was far stronger than most of the commanders. They never expected him to act that way, either. He was a very laid-back guy who was content with sitting around and eating, as far as they could tell.

"He has done nothing wrong," they heard their Captain reply.

"He's a traitor and a dirty coward."

"Not yet."

Luffy tensed at that. He was right. He hadn't done anything at that point, but it was only a matter of time before he started the War of the Best. It was only a matter of time before they all died. Still, he had to admire the Yonko's trust in his crew. It was naïve but true.

Ace watched as the man's skin returned to normal and he loosened his grip on Teach's neck. One the pirate regained his footing they all thought it was over. Then Luffy sent a punch flying into the man's gut. Teach was sent through the wall and landed all the way on the other side of the ship. Then he turned sharply and stomped over to the figurehead to sulk. A few pirates from the 2nd division ran to aid their comrade while the commanders prepared their assault. They fight was stopped, however, when they heard the booming voice of their father and Captain.

"Leave him."

They reluctantly lowered their weapons but didn't look away from the self-proclaimed Pirate King. He wasn't trustworthy. He just tried to kill one of their crewmates!

Thatch walked over to Ace who was still watching the man with fury in his eyes. He decided to try talking to his friend before they had another fight on their hands. "Your brother has a worse temper than you do," he teased. His hands were behind his head and he was smiling his usual smile in an attempt to relax Fire Fist. Clearly it wasn't working.

"He's _not _my brother." With that, Ace stormed away and went below deck back to his room. He couldn't stand being near the bastard. Thatch sighed at this. He was always hard to deal with. No doubt he'd be in a bad mood for a while after an incident like that.

Thatch headed over to the figurehead. Marco was already there sitting next to Luffy in silence. If the 1st Division Commander trusted him then so would Thatch. He always had good instincts about that sort of stuff. Hadn't been wrong yet. He leant against the rail and listened to their conversation.

"So, yoi?" Marco asked, waiting for the man to speak to him. Instead his reply was a sigh followed by him dropping his head into his hands. Clearly he was not in the mood to be interrogated.

"Ace is going to hate me again, isn't he?"

"Probably, yoi."

Luffy's shoulders sunk and he heaved another sigh. Marco was surprised at how whiny a man his age could be. He had a strange personality: he could be serious and downright scary in an instant but otherwise acted like a child. Still, he couldn't bring himself to hate him. The determination he saw in his eyes only minutes ago was something he admired. He always took a liking to people who showed raw talent and potential, it didn't matter if he knew them or not. Despite what the man did, he still trusted him. After all, he didn't go through with it. What he wanted to know was why.

"Why Teach?"

"Hm?"

"He's going to do something, right? What is it, yoi?" He knew there was something off about the man since he first joined his crew. He never fully trusted him and now he would get a chance to find out why.

Luffy tilted his head and stared blankly into the eyes of the 1st Division Commander. He didn't expect anyone to ask that. After thinking about it for a moment he realized that he really didn't care if Marco knew or not. He was someone he could trust regardless of what time they were in. "He'll betray you and start a war. It took a lot to kill him in my time so seeing him pissed me off."

"Clearly. So you're a murderer then, yoi?"

"You helped."

A bemused smirk crossed Marco's face. He hadn't expected it but found it interesting all the same. It was strange to hear about what he would do in the future. There were more important things to worry about though. "What exactly does he do, yoi?"

"One of the commanders is named Thatch, right?" Marco nodded and Thatch's ears perked up. Luffy wasn't in the mood to worry about what the information would change. Whatever happened, happened. It didn't matter. "He's going to kill him." They felt themselves freeze at those words. Both broke into a cold sweat, imagining what the man had said.

"And then?"

"Ace will go after him. Then he's going to be executed. Whitebeard will start a war with the Marine but he'll lose."

The two tried to compose themselves but the information was startling. It was unsettling. It couldn't be right. They couldn't take the chance that it was wrong. "…when will that happen?"

"When I'm seventeen."

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**A/N: And now the plot begins! At least it started up a lot better then A Pirate's Resolve did :P I know Luffy seems pretty OOC in this chapter, even for him being Adult Luffy, but I couldn't think of another way to write this chapter. The next chapter will have both tense and lighthearted moments so you'll get to see Luffy being his childish self. Now I'm going to go work on Reverse becaues I am so excited to write chapter 3! :D But first I'll eat a bagel.**

**Oh, also I wanted to thank all of you for your support! I'm going to be writing an AcexLuffy oneshot this weekend and I thought I'd let you guys request plot ideas for it if you want. You can give me any plot ideas you can think of either in reviews or PMs and on Saturday I'll pick the one I find most interesting. It can be AU, brotherly or romance. Anything goes so long as it can hold a T rating. I'll post a oneshot even if no one suggests anything, but I thought I'd give you the chance since you're all awesome!**

**Replying to my lovelies~**

**Shankie: Lol I'm glad you're getting hyped up! Sorry if him not killing the bastard ruins the mood but I need him alive muahaha.**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Hehe I'm too much of a troll. As a warning, there will be chapters that end on even worse cliffhangers like that once the plot really starts to develope. Blackbeard's not worth haki :P Especially without his Devil Fruit. The first time Luffy uses Red Hawk in this story is going to surprise a lot more than just Ace so be patient and it'll be even more dramatic :P And I thought so too. I mean it's hard to deny him when he knows about Sabo who few people knew about. As for their reactions...there's going to be a lot more tension and angst in the next few chapters, as you can see. **

**Natylol: I know I'm evil :P You're going to hate me even more in a good 3-5 chapters.**

**Lightningblade49: Sorry, not THIS time. I need him alive *evil grin***

**Zinfer: Oh, Luffy is going to royally fuck up the timeline. But I have a plan to counteract that. Which is why that bastard Teach gets to live.**

**RoXaS707: Here's another chapter! Hope this will contain you for the next day or 2!**

**Son Goshen: That's because you****_ were_**** trolled :P Lol I hate autocorrect. And I'm not going to blatantly reveal what he said to Whitebeard just yet, but it's more than just about Teach. And sorry, he's still alive. **

**bbhelen3162: Sorry, he's still alive :P And the crew is very mixed on the issue right now.**

**Darkspider: Sorry, Blackbeard lives. I need him so he was spared. It was so tempting though...Yeah Ace started believing, but now he hates him =.=; oh the drama. And I loved that scene too XD**

**wanicrocodile: Here's an update!**

**azab: Glad you do but sadly Blackbeard lives.**

**roy23: He probably could have but I needed to make sure he didn't. I had to keep Blackbeard alive for the plot. **

**angelrider13: Lol you sound excited XD And yeah...Luffy's not one to keep things a secret hehehe...but at least he's not stupid enough to tell the whole crew. Although Thatch overheard...And I mean, come on, it's Luffy! He's going to royally screw up history :P**

**AkaNeko-san: He just punched him! For now...muahahahaha! I has plans. Lotsa plans. And yes, I am proud! I like trolling you guys. It's fun to read your reactions. You'll be trolled in the future as well. In all threee of my stories. If you're goin to kill me when I finish then I'll just stop at the 2nd last chapter and leave it off on the biggest cliffhanger I can think of :P Just kidding. Told him more than just about the war :P But I won't say.**

**kuroivy: Lol I'm honestly not sure if I'm going to save Ace or not XD But we'll see.**

**e: Here's an update!**

**Urock: Lol that's awesome XD I hope your popcorn helped. And you're welcome! You're one of the only people that actually thanked me lol.**

**XxSaorixX: Lol I know right? Luffy doesn't really think these things through. Was everyones reactions good enough?**

**YingYang21: Nope, not yet. I'm saving that for later *evil grin***

**Inori. D: Here's an update!**

**mks 12 98: Exactly. I'd probably send them to get a psychological evaluation :P And thank you :D**

**Guest: You can stop jumping off the walls now! I updated! :D**

**Lin: Really? You're too kind ;A; Yes, but Luffy isn't really that smart :P So if things work out well it'll probably be thanks to the people who help him out. If it goes well. Might not.**

**We are now at 66 reviews! You guys are awesome! And we're almost at 100 reviews for A Pirate's Resolve! Thank you so much for the support ;_;**


	5. Words that Must be Said

**Important announcement! I have a new story out called The Divide! It's my first AceLu romance fic as well as my most AU story thus far. I'm hoping that some of you will give it a try if you're bored. It starts out slow - the opposite of Skip - but the chapters are longer and the story, itself, will most likely be longer as well. I have five chapters written so far and the first one is up :D I'll be uploading chapter two (which is my favourite so far) once I reach 15 reviews (That sounds selfish but it's actually because the story is intended to be uploaded when I'm busy and can't work on anything else. That way you guys will have something to read while waiting for me to update my other stories. However, if there is a high demand I will upload the next chapter). I swear it'll be a good read! :D**

**...Forgive the shameless self-advertising. I do it for all of my new stories...hehe...**

**Disclaimer: I own One Piece! Oda stole it from me to kill off Ace and Sabo because he's a butthead! *everyone around rolls their eyes***

* * *

Ace spent the majority of the day scowling at his so-called friends. Marco and Thatch had been hanging around that lying jerk ever since the incident three days before and it more than irritated him. He felt betrayed. The self-proclaimed Pirate King attacked a member of his division and then the two people he was closest to were suddenly constantly around him. Naturally he didn't approach. How could he? Every time he saw that bug-eyed asshole he wanted to set him on fire. He'd tried, even; after a momentary smell of burnt rubber the flames were dissipated by a strong wave of haki he'd never seen before._ Effortlessly_. And so he kept his distance.

Luffy looked over his shoulder at his brother and pouted after receiving a death glare. They had not spoken since his little outburst days ago and it was really starting to bother him. He didn't regret attacking the traitorous bastard, though, as he rightfully deserved it. Still, he was upset with himself for being unable to tell Ace why he did it. How do you tell the person you grew up with, who practically raised you as his younger sibling, that he's going to die as a result of his comrade's betrayals? All throughout those days Luffy had been wondering if he could change that fact. However, he recalled his scholar, Robin, telling him about the laws of time. Regardless of how the journey was made, the result would likely be the same. It was out of their control. Time wasn't so easily moulded.

He found his mind wandering back to that day, a time that was ten years ago for him and yet had not occurred in his surroundings. He remembered the limp body of his brother in his arms. He remembered his blood-soaked hands and those final words that his only remaining sibling uttered lowly with the last of his strength. He remembered the tears.

_"Thank you for loving me."_

When he first arrived in that time and saw Ace he thought he was in a dream. Or a nightmare. The thought of reliving that day was too much for him. After a few hours, though, he saw the situation as an opportunity; he could speak to his brother for just a little longer and put off the emptiness of his loss. There was so much to tell him, so much they could say to each other, and yet he was stuck sitting on the figurehead in silence. He made a mistake – one that cost him any sort of relationship with the one he lost. Ace hated him.

A tap on the shoulder brought him out of his thoughts and back to the sun-coated reality of the ship. He spun his head around and gave a small smile to his old-yet-new friend. Marco took a seat next to him, as per their new custom, and hung his legs over Moby Dick's edge. The salty sea sprayed over them as they watched ahead. He'd grown quite fond of the blonde's presence since his stay there began. He felt the same about Thatch, though he wasn't impressed when he learned of the man's eavesdropping on that oh so important conversation he and the 1st division commander had.

"Still sulking, yoi?"

"I'm being hated by my dead brother," he stated, eyes half lidded as he watched the sky turn from blue to gold.

"Glad to see you're so optimistic," Thatch teased, arriving on the other side of Luffy in a manner similar to the first commander.

"Shut up," Luffy commanded in retort, his voice more annoyed than angry. Though the situation looked grim, he was happy having people on the ship who didn't want to slice him into ribbons. Being away from his crew just made him realize how easily he became lonely. He'd accepted that there was nothing he could do about the situation until he found that Yonko bastard who sent him there in the first place, but it didn't make the unease he felt any better

"Why not explain it to him?" Thatch inquired, trying to brighten the Pirate King's mood. His pessimism didn't suit him and it was starting to make both commanders more than just a little worried.

"We're talking about _Ace_. His fury knows no bounds." To prove his point he gestured to the man in question, receiving a snarling glare in return. "See?"

He had a point – when someone tried to harm any of his crewmates, Ace was at their throats in a heartbeat. He cared for them so much that he was willing to forsake his loyalty to his Captain in order to seek out revenge. It was amazing that he had only attempted to murder Luffy once after that outburst three days ago.

"True as that may be…" Thatch's voice trailed off as he tried to think up a way to cheer up the gloomy fellow. Marco beat him to it.

"You'll just end up regretting it if you don't try, yoi," Marco stated, watching as a flash of realization washed over the Pirate King's face. Apparently he'd struck a chord with the young man. Well, anything to get the childish adult out of his slump.

"Yeah," he began, giving them both one of his trademark grins as his confidence returned, "you're right." If this was the only chance he would ever have to see his brother again then he would take it. How could he not? He hadn't seen his brother's face in the last decade – not even his wanted posters – and he wanted to be sure to burn his features into his memory before it was ripped away from him again. Regardless of how much you care for someone, you eventually begin to forget them. You forget their face, their touch, who they were. Time takes everything from you but the bitter regret and sorrow the loss brought forth. Hopefully he could see his smile, just once.

With that newest revelation fueling his energy, he hopped away from the two smiling commanders and headed over to the man who wanted to fry his innards into charcoal. Stopping in front of Ace, he was greeted with an angry snarl and a look that told him if he were to get any closer his head would be torn off. Or worse.

"Ace!" he beamed, ignoring the signals his brother was giving him to make him leave. Fire Fist crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes into an even sharper glare, trying to intimidate the man who claimed to be the strongest in the world.

"Don't say my name so easily, bastard," he barked, flames rising from his shoulders as he did his best to control his anger. Oyaji didn't want him fighting the man, but the thought was far too tempting for him to ignore. He wouldn't be able to contain himself for long. So he watched the man, waiting for him to make the wrong move. His eyes widened when he saw Luffy enter into a low bow and hold himself there.

"Sorry!" the older man started, still staying in that pleading, desperate position. It was ironic to see the self-proclaimed King lower himself like that. "I should have said something before acting. I was wrong."

Ace was taken aback by the scarred man's words and fought to find his composure as he tried to make sense of what he was saying. He was apologising…for the other night? For the attack on Teach?

"Forgive me?" Luffy asked raising his head to show his toothy grin that spread wide across his face.

Ace's features softened for a moment, still showing concern. Something about that man made it impossible for him to stay as furious as he was. The flames on his shoulders dissipated and now he was giving the older man a look of serious contemplation, sharply contrasting the unabashed anger his face held before.

"Why did you do it?" His voice was calm and laced with a negative emotion Luffy recognized as hurt. It was only then that the Pirate King realized how much his actions that day had affected his brother, and why. Ace really believed Luffy's claims before then. He had thought that, just maybe, he could be telling the truth. He _was_ the Pirate King. He _was _Luffy. They _were_ brothers. But then his attack on Blackbeard had left him feeling betrayed. Just as he was starting to accept the raven-haired man's stories he attacked one of his crewmates – a member of his division, no less. Now Luffy knew just why Ace was so upset.

"I can't say."

"Why?" This time Fire Fist's tone was a lot sharper and more frantic. Luffy could see a small spark of pleading in his now-younger-brother's eyes. He was searching for a reason to believe in him before his anger returned. He wanted Luffy to give him an excuse to explain away his previous actions so that he really could forgive him. But he could give him the answers he wanted. The older man knew just how Ace would react to the information and couldn't risk putting him in danger. He didn't want to lose him again.

"He doesn't want you to do anything stupid, yoi," Marco stated as he and Thatch headed over to the brothers, noting it was time for them to intervene. From their observations over the past few days they realized that the guy was bad at explaining himself and would need their help to convey the details of such a sensitive topic, lest he cause more damage.

"I won't!"

"You _do_." As Ace's eyes widened at those simple to words, Marco prepared himself to say the one thing he knew his friend needed to hear. "You died."

Ace felt his body go numb. The words his crewmate spoke repeated over and over in his mind as his skin drained of colour into a ghostly white. In an effort to prove those words wrong he glanced over at Luffy, waiting for him to disprove the accusation. His eyes enlarged as his vision rested on the man, still bent over in a partial bow, whose face had contorted into a look of agony. That expression reminded him of his and his little brother's reactions to Sabo's death. Though this man was not crying as the young boy had, it was plain to see that those words physically _hurt_ to hear. He could see the apologetic look on the older man's face – it didn't suit him – and resigned himself to the fact. So he would die. He broke his promise.

"Oh."

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**A/N: Sorry for the slowish update! I was busy with school and I got into my other stories more. Plus I wan't sure just how I wanted to write out this scene and it was bothering me so I waited a while to write it. How did it turn out? Good? Interesting? Lame? I vote lame.**

**Now to my lovelies~ *looks at reviews* ...there are a lot of you this time...the Author's Note might end up longer than the chapter o.o;**

**XxAcexLuffyxX: Lol I like your enthusiasm ;)**

**Natylol: There are bigger things to worry about then what those two will do :P**

**XxSaorixX: Hehehe...kinda left you off at another cliffy like the last one...don't hurt me! ;_;**

**AshesAndDreams: Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed this update too :D**

**Tough chick: *overly dramatic background music***

**Insane Blood Prince: Teehee I have a bad habit of ending chapters like that :P You'll get use to it if you read my other fics. I'm glad you like Adult!Luffy ^^ I don't know if many people realize it but he's really hard for me to write...heck, normally Luffy is hard enough to write as it is!**

**Guest: Thanks for the suggestion! I'm doing a series of oneshots and bonus chapters eventually and I'll keep that in consideration :D**

**roy23: Don't worry, the Shichibukai and Marines will definitely be in the story quite a bit. As well as some Yonko. Later. My stories normally don't have too much action, sorry :/ This one will have a lot of action but it'll be later on. Fighting isn't really the focus of this story. But don't worry, if you stick around you'll eventually get to see how badass Luffy has become XD But that's later. I lean towards character growth as opposed to violence.**

**Lin: I like the way you think ;) Glad you're making predictions! Enjoy!**

**Koneko-sempai: I just uploaded chapter four the day you reviewed D: But lol hope you enjoy the update now that I've gotten around to it. **

**Dorito Monkey D. Nyan Cat: I love your enthusiasm XD You're awesome, never change.**

**Lightningblade49: Maybe, maybe not XD**

**Wolfguide: I'm glad you like them and thanks for the compliment! Though not I've started an AceLu romance hehe...the idea called to me XD I'm having a lot of fun writing on it even though there's no romance so far...damn, rambling again. I'll definitely keep updating when I can! Though my stories are not all going to be like this, the romance one being a good example.**

**Son Goshen: Lol I've been doing that a lot, too, lately XD I was actually in the middle of my 3 hour drawing class hiding behind my giant metal easel reading a fic while doing one of the expercises :D As for the sleep thing, I believe I sent you a PM about that. To anyone who's curious, my sleep schedule is rather fucked. Really? I'm glad! Whenever I write him I get worried that I'm going to mess up and that he's not going to be believable...it makes me worried :( It would be boring if he killed him so early on :P Plus the entire crew would probably throw him overboard. Lol Luffy's 27 in A Pirate's Resolve too. Well, almost 28, but let's not get technical. Hope you enjoyed this update!**

**kuroivy: I'm glad you liked it, thank you!**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Lol Ace wouldn't be Ace if he wasn't as stubborn and hotheaded as he is XD The scar will be brought up soon, either the next chapter or the one after that. Just haven't had a chance for anyone to ask about it yet. How can I do that? Very easily XD Luffy will protect Ace but I don't think it's the same way you're thinking.**

**azab: I love you too 3 Sorry for a slower update than usual...life is bleh. Hope it was satisfying though :)**

**angelrider13: I love your reactions XD Really, I do. I'm glad you liked it, that chapter was annoying to write. Hope this one is up to par! I had more fun with this one even though there was less action. I don't much care for action.**

**AkaNeko-san: He knew the rule, but it's Luffy :P I mean, do you seriously think he would listen? I know. I'm sorry. But my trolling will never end! Muahaha! Seriously, I love ending chapters like that and getting annoyed reviews from you guys :P Your reactions are great.**

**YingYang21: Glad you think so :D**

**mks 12 98: Yeah, Luffy isn't one to think about concequences sadly =_=; And I'll warn you now that you'll probably be upset with the ending.**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: You're too kind ;_; Thank you so much!**

**sakura240: Thank you, glad you enjoyed! Hope this chapter was satisfying as well!**

**SioQu: Nope, that's just a random guy I used as a plot device :P Though his character will be fleshed out later on in the story.**

**lunarmidnightwolf: Glad you like XD Hope the update was to your liking!**

**ouyang393: Here's an update!**

**Shankie: Who's your top author? *evil glare* Just kidding XD I'm glad you liked it! Hope you enjoyed this update just as well!**

**Trich: I assure you I cannot read minds. If I could I would cheat my was through university :P But I'm glad you like it!**

**xoxInnerHollowxox: Glad you like it!**

**e: I won't stop :) Though things will be slower now that I'm working on four stories at once.**

**Cyborgnetics: Yes, this story was very tiring to plot out =_=; But I'm glad you like it!**

**(Wow, getting so close to the AN being as long as the story...scary concept. Anyeays thanks so much for the feedback guys and please check out my other fics while you're awaiting the next update :D Adieu~)**


	6. Interrogation

**Disclaimer: Yes, it's short. All of the chapters of ****_Skip_**** are short. The story itself is short. And this is one of the shortest chapters of all.**

* * *

Ace sighed, watching the silhouette of his brother sitting on the figurehead. They hadn't spoken a word since sunset when Marco made the big reveal of his death. He wasn't really sure how he was supposed to react to that. Going by how old Luffy looked, he would last a decade at most. Something told him he wasn't so lucky, though, and he couldn't help but wonder when and how it happened. Marco mentioned that it was a result of his recklessness, meaning that it wasn't a natural death. It could be prevented, possible. Or was that wrong? Could you change the past?

He found himself unconsciously stepping nearer to the front of the ship, standing directly behind Luffy, wanting to know more. After their earlier conversation he'd resigned himself to believe the Pirate King's words. He believed it before, too, if only a little. Now he was certain. He had to believe – the expression on his face when Marco said that Ace would die was all too real.

"Hey," he found himself calling out, though he wasn't sure what to say. He was nervous. Luffy turned to him, smiling and inviting him to sit on the figurehead. He accepted the invitation and took his place next to his brother, pondering how to word his questions. He didn't want to upset the man but he also didn't want to be left in the dark. "I…"

"I was heading to your grave before all of this," Luffy stated, noticing the nervousness in Ace's voice. He didn't bother to look at him but he could see out of the corner of his eye that Fire Fist turned his way, rather awkward. It was weird to hear about your own grave – unnerving. Still, Luffy was explaining it to him and so he wouldn't interrupt. "We were ambushed on the way there. A Yonko attacked my crew and managed to get us onto an island for battle when our long-ranged weapons failed us."

"A Yonko? You fight them?" Ace asked, more intrigued then he was about the grave. It was hard to hear about that bratty boy he remembered taking on one of the strongest powers on the sea.

"Not usually. I get along well with the Yonko. Well, most of them."

"Are they the same or did they get their titles stolen?" He was taking more interest in this that he thought he would, but it was exciting to learn about the future.

"Different. Oh, Shanks is still a Yonko, though."

"What about Oyaji?"

"…"

"Oh…" The silence was the only answer he needed. So the old man died, huh? "…Then who are the new ones?" He didn't want to dwell on who lived or died. That was one thing he didn't want to know.

"Trafalgar Law."

"The supernova? He made it as a Yonko?"

"Yep! Just recently, though."

"Who else?"

Luffy's smile brightened and he peered around the ship, keeping watch for any unwanted listeners. The last thing he needed was for Thatch to overhear him…again. This time he was also looking for a certain pineapple-head. When he saw no one on deck he leaned in close to his brother, being as secretive as possible.

"Marco," he announced, snickering as he watched Ace's face drain of colour and eyes widen to impossible levels.

"No way!" he shouted, resulting in a hand over his mouth as the older peered over his shoulder to make sure no one heard. He sighed when he realized, again, that no one was there. The last thing he wanted was for the Phoenix to find out and for that information to negatively affect his future. He liked having Marco as a Yonko; it meant that he didn't have to worry so much about the Four Emperors attacking his. Sure he liked the occasional fight during his travels but sometimes they wouldn't give him a break, like that stupid Yonko bastard from before. "Are you serious?"

"Yep!"

"Wow." Ace wasn't really sure what else to say to that. Marco didn't seem ambitious enough to aim for the title of Yonko. Did he get it on accident or something? "And who's the last one?"

"…I don't know, but he attacked me."

"…Then how do you not know?"

"He's new!" Luffy shouted defensively with a pout. "He just gained his title two weeks ago and went after me."

Ace blinked a few times before laughing. Luffy was the only one who could legitimately use that as an excuse. His older-younger-brother looked over at him with confusion, tilting his head before he laughed as well, though he didn't know what he was laughing at in the first place. He was just happy to see Ace smile; that was something lost in his memories.

"So what happened when he attacked you?"

"I kicked his ass!" Ace let out another snicker. "But then he used this weird Devil Fruit ability and I ended up here."

Now that the story was over, Ace's mind drifted over to something that had been bothering him for a while. "Luffy…" he started, trying to think of the right words. He noticed his brother's face light up when he said his name, seeing as he hadn't done so before. "Where did you get that scar?" He turned and his finger gently rubbed against the skin on the Pirate King's chest. He saw the man visibly darken.

"That's…" What should he say? He couldn't tell him everything, right? He didn't want to. "It's from an Admiral."

"Hmm…" Ace was pondering that, knowing that there were bits being left out. "It looks old."

"It is."

"How long ago?"

"Ten years."

"When would that be? According to this time, I mean."

"In a year or so."

"Oh." He thought for a moment, wondering how his brother managed to get into a fight with an Admiral so soon after setting sail. He didn't know whether to be impressed or disappointed in him. "You're not going to tell me about my…death, are you?" He had to pause to be sure of what he was going to say. It was all so foreign to him still.

"No," Luffy replied, voice firm and solid. Ace sighed.

"Didn't think so."

* * *

**A/N: So yeah. Update. Yay. I'm tired now. And I want a shower. Anyways, this chapter is short and not much happens but its necessary so deal with it :P Oh and ****_Reverse_**** is update too for anyone who's interested!**

**To my lovelies~**

**bbhelen3162: Um...well...to be perfectly honest, this fic is going to probably end up worse than the canon series did. It's not actually a fic about saving Ace, people just sort of assumed it was ahahaha...**

**RoXaS707: Well to be honest this entire story is 'not the best' and it's probably my most boring fic in the first place. Really don't know why you people bother with it :/ Sorry to say but if you're expecting a lot of action or intense scenes then you really shouldn't be reading this story. It's not meant to grab your attention like my other fics are. This is more a personal story than anything, not really writing it for you guys like I am the others. Not to mention it is NOT a 'save Ace' story, so...**

**Cyborgnetics: Thank you!**

**XxSaorixX: Lol yes XD It looks even longer because Skip has such short chapters :P I need Teach for later so he's not going to die, sorry... Glad you checked out Divide! Hope you like! (I find it more interesting than Skip by far)**

**Son Goshen: Lol XD Yes, Marco is allowed :P Besides Ace is...well, Ace. He needed someone to spell it out for him. And now he's in partial denial, imagine that. Well this story, like I said, may actually be worse than canon so...yeah.**

**Dorito Monkey D. Nyan Cat: Awesome reaction! XD**

**Sealing Mistress: You're too kind ;_; Glad you liked!**

**roy23: Lol Whitebeard already knows XD**

**azab: They're not going to get touchy-feely XD Sorry.**

**Portgas D. Paula: Here's an update!**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Glad you do! I always get worried writing him... Really? It made you cry? Sorry! D:**

**Kiyoumi: Yep! :)**

**angelrider13: Yeah, no one's been updating lately and it makes me very sad :( I'm still updating but I'd like to read more of some of the awesome fics on this site but very few people are still updating... I'll give you a hint: Ace knowing is definitely not a good thing :P And that will become apparent in the next few chapters...probably.**

**Ouyang393: This chapter is very anti-climatic =_=; I didn't really expect Ace to freak out over it or anything, just be in a daze...for now, at least.**

**Tough chick: Really? I didn't think it was that sad... :(**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: I think this time it'll end up longer than the chapter XD I find it funny that the people reading this are saying similar stuff to the ones reading Reverse only they're yelling at Ace instead of Luffy XD**

**MeikoKuran999: Lol yep XD It was some overwhelming information so his brain had a "...what?" moment.**

** .Yaoi-sama: Lol the plot needs Blackbeard to advance XD So he lives, sorry. Here's an update, though a small one.**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Glad you like! Here's an update...though it's pretty boring.**

**Youkai Guardian: Hehehe I use cliffies a lot ;)**

**msk 12 98: Ace? Apologise? Never! XD At least not yet.**

**SioQu: I cried for both honestly XD Though I agree with you. You are correct. I hinted at that in this chapter but it'll become more apparent soon enough.**

**sakura240: Lol you have so many questions XD Don't worry, there will be more plot in the next chapter. I felt this one was necessary though.**

**Arjenka: Really? Sorry for making you cry then! D:**

**99 luffy: Haha you flatter me XD Thank you!**

**EmoCheerleaderChellie: Won't update this story more often. I've stated that this story was less important from the beginning. It's just a side thing. Resolve is my main priority followed by Divide and Reverse. This one is also much shorter than all of the others so writing more often would cause it to end within the next 2-3 weeks. It's going to be 20 chapters, possibly less. Not to mention that I'm a full-time university student. It's amazing that I can update my stories as often as I do. Glad you like it though, but please don't ask for speedy updates. I have four stories going and I'm a psych/visual cultures Honors student and I'm only human. Please try to understand.**

**Shankie: I've been meaning to read some of Kitsune's stories! I just haven't found the time yet. Now I will definitely head over to her profile when I have the chance! Awe you're so sweet~**

**Natylol: If Luffy told him much more I don't even want to know what Ace would do XD**

**lunarmidnightwolf: Hehehe that will be made apparent in the following chapters.**

**Dev's Inferno: Thanks.**

**AkaNeko-san: So you feel trolled then? XD Good! Well what did you expect him to do? He went into shock :P As I've said, I need Blackbeard alive so he cannot die yet. I'll be waiting for that cookie!**

**The Darkest wizard: Thanks! Here's an update!**

**spoons-are-evil: You won't find out how he decides to take action until the next chapter. This one is basically an interval between the two where he's trying to figure things out.**

**(I think the Author's Note is officially as long as the chapter :O Adieu~)**


	7. Yonko and Father

**So after looking over the reviews, I realized that a lot of you don't read ****_Resolve_****. Well, I knew that already... But why?! This is actually just a side-story to ****_Resolve_****. You can consider it a prequel, really. If you read it you would have known that Law and Marco were Yonkos. I saw surprised when you guys commented about that since I thought most of you, or at least a good number of you, would read the main story. To be honest, I put a lot more effort into that one than I do this. A LOT more. Why is this one popular?!**

**Also, here's the longest chapter in the story thus far! By like 20 words, but whatever. I actually had most of it written out last night and it was longer than this but my computer crashed T^T I'm VERY bitter about that. I wanted to be working on the bonus chapter for ****_Resolve_**** but here I was rewriting this! Ugh! Well, enjoy...**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece. You know the drill.**

* * *

Darkness began to fade into morn on the sweet horizon, bright colours dancing on the edge of the sea. By then even the night watch had drifted into sleep, leaving solitude on the main deck. Luffy found himself at Whitebeard's door. The old man asked earlier in the night to have a talk with him but he'd only just then been able to get away from his brother. As much as he enjoyed being with Ace again he couldn't help but think that the man was trying to make him reveal more information about the future. His brother spent the entire night asking questions about what would happen to his crew and how he would die and it took everything Luffy had not to slip up. Sure he told him some things voluntarily but he resigned himself not to give anything more away.

There was a nagging voice in the back of his head, sounding much like Robin, which told him that altering the future would be a horrible, horrible mistake. If it weren't for that he would have told Ace about his death a thousand times over in the hopes that he could change it. But that voice was right—messing with time, nigh impossible as it was, could end up leading to a worse outcome than he remembered. More people could die. He didn't want anyone else's blood on his hands.

He knocked hesitantly on the Yonko's door. Within moments he was ushered inside. The giant man sat at an equally large desk, filing through papers that most likely detailed the statuses of the crews he was allied with, as well as the locations of his many divisions. There was huge bottle of grog placed next to his free hand, containing enough alcohol to drown the Straw Hat captain.

Newgate studied him from the corner of his eye before he turned to fully face the Pirate King. There was a barely visible smirk under his mustache.

"You're late, brat," he declared, his heavy voice carrying proudly through the room.

"Shishishi, sorry about that!" Luffy bounced over to the bed and made himself comfortable, sitting on the mattress. "I just got away from Ace."

"Gurarara," the man laughed.

Luffy took a minute to study the Yonko. Having only seen him once before he didn't remember much about him. So that was the strongest man in the world at the time, huh? He wondered how he'd fair against him in a fight but quickly brushed that thought aside in favour of more pressing matters. "So what did you want did you wanna see me for?"

"It's about our talk a few days ago."

Luffy visibly winced at that. He knew what it was about. That first day after he was brought to the past he was a nervous wreck. He'd hid his frantic worrying behind a calm, cheerful smile so that no one noticed but after a while he needed someone to confide in and that person was Whitebeard. He told him _everything_—Teach, Thatch, Ace's determination for revenge, the battle at Marineford and _all_ of the deaths throughout, up until the bitter end. There was something about the old man that was calming and he was easy to talk do, despite his intimidating stature. The words just flew off his tongue naturally. Now, though, he was beginning to regret that talk.

He eyed the giant bottle of alcohol on Newgate's desk. "C-can I have some of that?" He felt he'd need it to get through the rest of the night. As though he'd anticipated the question, the Yonko grabbed a mug from behind him and poured some of the liquid into it before handing it off to the Pirate King. They both took large swigs before continuing. "What do you wanna know?"

"When will Thatch be attacked?" the old man asked bluntly, refusing to say 'killed' as it would mean he was resigned to his son's fate.

"Hmm…not sure." The Pirate King found himself wishing that the Marco from his time was there; he was around for that incident and would be far more useful to the Yonko than Luffy could ever be. After all, he didn't really ask about the events leading up to the war, seeing how they were such a sensitive topic for the Whitebeard pirates of his time. "It wasn't long after Ace became 2nd division commander—I know that."

"So the boy accepts?"

"Yep!"

Newgate's smirk grew. He had a feeling Ace would assume the role but hearing that it was a certainty pleased him greatly. Something was causing him to hesitate, he knew, and so he had his doubts that he would agree to taking over that position. Maybe whatever it was that stopped him would be revealed in time. Still, he would have to make his decision soon which meant that it wouldn't be long before Teach made his move.

"Hey, giant ossan," Luffy began, scratching his head. He saw the old man acknowledge him and wondered how to word his question. He didn't want to come off wrong, especially if the man's strength lived up to the rumors. "Why did you stop me?"

"When you attacked Teach?"

"Yeah. We wouldn't have to worry if the bastard was dead." He took another sip of rum and downed a good third of the mug. He listened to the Yonko back then but wasn't sure if he regretted it or not. He was conflicted; one side of him wanted to keep everything the same for fear of bringing about a worse future and the other wanted to change it to save the many lives lost. Which was right? It was rare for him to hesitate like he did.

"He's yet to do anything wrong, my boy."

"But he _will_."

"And when he does we'll be prepared," he assured him, using one of his giant finger's to ruffle his head comfortingly. Though the Pirate King was twenty-seven, he was nothing more than another child of the sea to Newgate. That night, when Luffy opened up to him, the two gained a strong bond through their desire to protect Teach's future victims. He wasn't sure if the boy felt the same, but he'd begun to treat him as one of his sons just like he did with the members of his crew and all of his allied forces. He still thought of him as a cocky brat, though.

Luffy sighed. "I hope so. I _really_ don't want to relive that." He stared back at his reflection in his beverage, silently playing the battles of Impel Down and Marineford over and over in his head. He'd done that a lot over the last decade—going over those events, thinking of all possible 'what if' situations. What if he went to find Ace when he first noticed his vivre card burning? What if he arrived at Impel Down sooner? What if he didn't get hit by that poison? What if he found Ace's cell just a little bit earlier? What if he was stronger? What if he hadn't stopped when Akainu attacked? What if…

"Anything else, ossan?"

"How long after does Ace get imprisoned?"

"About a year… I think."

"I see. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well…" There was one thing he neglected to mention during his ramblings that night. "When you died he…took your ability."

Silence. After a minute or so Newgate let out a hearty laugh and slapped him on the back. "I appreciate the warning, brat."

"Shishishi no problem, ossan!"

They continued with idle chat for half an hour before Luffy decided to take his leave. When he opened the door he caught his brother mid-knock. The two blinked at each other awkwardly before Luffy moved aside and let him in. He waved a casual goodbye and pondered staying before he inevitably proceeded onto the deck. He had a feeling he knew why Ace was there and didn't want to negatively affect his talk with his captain.

Ace watched the closed door for a second before he turned back to Whitebeard. "Why was he here?" he asked, staring curiously at the Yonko.

"Nothing for you to worry about, son," he assured with a fatherly smile, eliciting a similar one on Fire Fist's face. "What is it?"

"Oh, well…" he fumbled with his words, wondering how to phrase his next sentence. It was evidence in his aversion to eye-contact that he was nervous—worried, even. "I need to talk to you about something. It's, uh, kind of important."

"Go on."

"Umm…" Now that he'd finally mustered up the courage to face the old man, he was starting to second guess himself. He wanted to back out and forget he even brought it up and the fact that he was being so tactless wasn't helping with his unease. It was rare for him to act as aversive as he was and he knew his captain could see right through him. "Oyaji, I'm actually…"

"Spit it out, boy," he commanded, though his voice no more demanding than it usually was. If he didn't encourage him to speak they would be there all night.

"I'm the son of Gol D. Roger." After those words left his mouth, Ace found himself shutting his eyes tightly in anticipation of the verbal bashing he was sure would follow. Oyaji would be pissed and would kick him off the Moby Dick. He'd hate him—he was so _sure_, yet all that followed was amused laughter.

His eyes shot open and he looked to his captain with confusion.

"Is that so? What a surprise! You don't really act like Roger, though…"

"Weren't you two enemies? Aren't you gonna throw me out?"

"When you said you had something important to talk about, I thought it would be bigger than this."

"Eh?"

"It doesn't matter who your parents were; everyone is a child of the sea. Gurarara!"

As Whitebeard laughed, Ace couldn't help but smile. That was the first time since his journey began that he'd confided that information to anyone and the response was far more than he ever hoped. He was accepted. Despite his lineage, he was welcomed into the crew. And he could make his decision.

"Then… I suppose the offer for 2nd division commander is still open," he said, looking hopefully at the Yonko. He was ready to accept.

"Of course, Ace," Newgate replied, grinning at the most recent addition to his family.

After a few more words his son left and, though he was glad the boy accepted the offer, his concern was growing. If what Luffy said was true, it would only be a matter of time before Teach made his move. Everything would soon be set into motion.

* * *

**A/N: So yeah. New chapter. And if anyone complains about length, I ask that you look at all the chapters before this because none of them have reached 2,000 words. This is a side story, always has been, and so I'm not bothering to do 2,000-4,000 word chapters like I do with my other stories. That aside, hopefully this wasn't too crappy. The first version was better but my computer had to be an asshat and delete it. And what I had done of the bonus which I was REALLY getting into! Damn you, computer!**

**Oh yeah and ****_Resolve _****reached 300+ reviews ;_; I'm so happy!**

**To my lovelies~**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Glad you liked it, then!**

**MeikoKuran999: I'm happy you do! ^^ As stated at the top of this chapter, the Yonkos are the same as in ****_Resolve_**** since this is a side story :)**

**RoXaS707: Well sorry but it's not :/ It's centered around character development, Luffy coming to terms with his life and melancholic moments. Besides, do you know how hard it is trying to come up with a reasonable fight scene when the main character is the strongest person in the world?! T^T I've had issues with this and with ****_Resolve_**** because of that. Found a solution in the main story for later, but not in this one...**

**XxSaorixX: Well seeing that it's Luffy... Yes, yes he will :P Probably more than once. Glad you enjoyed!**

**Kiyoumi: Oh he'll blurt out a lot of stuff, but it'll be a bad thing hehe. Well at least he has SOME restraint :P**

**Natylol: I'm happy you liked it .**

**roy23: Look, every chapter is 1,000 or more. Not even one has reached 2,000. It's a side story to ****_Resolve_**** so please don't expect more. I don't care if you're not satisfied, it's my story and I'm not going to increase the length of the chapters for anyone else. I have three other stories that I've deemed more important than this one and keeping up with all of them is a daunting task. Plus I'm a full-time university student. And I'm looking for a job. And a new place. If you're not satisfied then write something yourself to keep busy or look for something else to read. Sorry if it sounds rude, but I've got too much going on to make this more than what it is: a side story. A prequel. And you're kind of demanding. This is also my last priority for updates. It won't be updated as often. It's my least favourite, not to mention the reviewers for my other stories are immensly kind and patient and usually inspire me to work on the other stories first. And you're like the 6th person I've said this to in the past 2-3 chapters but this is NOT an action story. Sure there will be fights, but it in no way centers around that.**

**Dev's Inferno: Thanks.**

**mks 12 98: That's the point :P Luffy's hiding that fact from Ace because explaining it would involve telling him what happened.**

**Son Goshen: Yep! Luckily their little talk convinced him and he moved on! But now he's pestering Luffy about the future =_=; There will be more brotherly moments, don't you worry! :D (So glad you didn't ask for action like everyone else...)**

**Cyborgnetics: Then thank you, glad you do! There will be two stories tonight too: this and ****_Divide_****. And then I'll work on Reverse and the bonus chapter tomorrow aftter doing my homework! (Because I REALLY need to get that done...) Lol I've read her works and I agree completely,they're awesome XD**

**spoons-are-evil: Well new in this story at least XD But more awkward than nervous. Auto-correct can be a pain u_u Sorry about that typo... I'm going to go over all of my stories and correct the stupid typos over the break so please ignore them until then. And you're welcome~ I love getting reviews and can't help but respond XD**

**kuroivy: Lol my other stories are constantly updating so I guess you don't read those :P Well I'm sorry I'm not your one of your favourite authors =_=; Yep. Like I said, that was revealed in ****_Resolve_**** a LONG time ago. I'm assuming you don't read that story though XD It's short because all of the chapters are short. All of the chapters are short because this is a side story. Love you too!**

**Insane Blood Prince: You're welcome! Here's another!**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: He didn't say which Admiral because he doesn't want Ace to know :P I'll warn you now that you are definitely not going to be satisfied with the ending :P**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Yep, just like in ****_Resolve_****! Glad you're excited!**

**samettikettu: Lol glad you did XD Yep, confusing an awkward. The next chapter will address that, actually :P **

**Vegetable of Darkness: I love your pen name :P And you'll see that soon! As you can see, that little incident will be happening in no time!**

**azab: Glad you do!**

**angelrider13: Lol yep, kinda! Well even if it doesn't count as bonding they'll bond in the next few chapters :D Because I am a sucker for brotherly love. Luffy's still undecided and Ace doesn't know enough about his death to change it, so you'll have to wait and see~**

**shadyboy: There will be fighting but this is NOT an ACTION fic. Otherwise one of the genres would be action. But its not. I focus my stories on character development and interaction so if you're dead set on fight scenes then it's probably best you look elsewhere.**

**99 Luffy: Glad you like them! Wish I liked this side story as much as you people seem to...**

**Diclonious57: That would ruin the plot :P**

**Sora Tsuiki: Well it's just a side story/prequel to A****_ Pirate's Resolve_**** so it's not meant to be long. All of my other stories are funner to write anyways :P Well I'm glad you do :D I have issues writing him in this story for some reason...**

**Shankie: Awe it's ok! Don't worry about it! ^^ I'm glad you do~ I'll tell you now that you will not be satisfied with the ending e_e;**

**AkaNeko-san: HA! My cookie! Too bad I can't eat sweets... Lol glad you liked that part XD That was my favourite part to write in that chapter. Well it's longer - the longest yet - but still under 2,000 words.**

**ASLfangirl: I'm happy you did ^^ Well it's been mentioned in ****_Resolve_**** but the actual scene hasn't happened yet. I'll tell you no****_w _****that it will be quite differentthan this scene though. Hmm... You might cry. Depends on how sensitive you are. More than likely you'll just be pissed. Or irritated. Or both. You're the first person who said that and I love you for it ;_; Many reader complain about length, actually =_=; You're welcome~**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: Yay! Thank you :D **

**SioQu: Yep, just like in ****_Resolve_****. They might. Luffy is still undecided so only I know muahaha!**

**Sealing Mistress: Thank you! You're so kind ;_; I'm so happy you like them!**

**alynawatlovers: That would have ruined the entire story :P You're welcome!**

**NeitherSaneNorInsane: Well then don't look at the side bar =_=; I reply to all of my reviewers and that's not going to change. Either deal with the long Author's Note or stop reading. Here's an update.**

**Galymad: Glad you do :D Most people don't like those aspects so I'm really happy you said you do! Lol yep! Marco doesn't really have ambitions like that it seems so it would likely be a fluke. He's very useful as a Yonko though muahaha. Here's an update~**

**(Well, for every 3 good reviews we had one where someone complained about something *sigh* See why I rarely update this story? T^T Ah well, I won't quit. Gotta troll you more, after all. Actually I don't really troll much with this :/ The other three I do... Oh well. So I'm going to update ****_Divide _****now and reply to its reviews. Adieu~)**


	8. Commander

**So yeah, finally got around to updating this. Sorry it was so slow. If you checked my profile you'll know that I hurt my hand and it's really hard to write. It's not healed yet but I thought you guy have been patient enough and managed to get this done. I was going to work on it a few days ago but... somehow I ended up working on ****_The Divide_****. Funny, huh? Hehe... Well the next chapter will be a little longer, probably being the first to break 2,000 words. Believe it or not, next chapter we'll be half way through. Don't worry, though - the 2nd half of the story has more going on than the 1st. But, as I said, this is a short fic so it was never meant to be in-depth. Still, I hope you all enjoy~**

**I have two new fics up called ****_To Be a Boy_**** and ****_Imagined Life_**** so feel free to check those out! :D**

**Disclaimer: My teeth hurt... Damn wisdom teeth! Oh, wait... Umm... Don't own One Piece. Yeah.**

* * *

Luffy smiled from the figurehead as he watched the Whitebeard crew cheer and congratulate his brother who was readily stuffing his face with the celebratory spread Thatch prepared for him. His stomach growled furiously in response to the tantalizing aroma wafting his nose but, for one of the only times in his life, he didn't rush over to the food. He didn't budge. That was one of the happiest times of Ace's life and he wasn't about to ruin it but childishly stealing his food. That could wait until tomorrow.

He let out a bit of a laugh when his brother succumbed to his narcolepsy in the middle of eating, eliciting laughs from his comrades. How long ago did he last see the freckled man so carefree? It was great seeing the burden of Roger's name was being lifted from Ace's shoulders. Though that name still led to his execution…

As the group of pirates continued on merrily, poking and prodding their sleeping comrade, Luffy's gaze turned hard. He glared darkly at the dark-skinned man sitting across the bow—Teach. Ace accepted the position of 2nd division commander which meant that they were running out of time. It wouldn't be long before Teach made his move. What was it that caused him to act? Why did he kill Thatch and escape? Luffy mentally kicked himself for never asking Marco about the reason behind the attack; he didn't like bringing up anything related to the 4th division commander's death, though. But if he had maybe they could do something. Maybe…

"Hungry?" asked a familiar, deep voice.

Luffy looked away from the traitor to the redhead in front of him who was holding out a plate, smiling. Quickly the Pirate King jumped down from the figurehead and snatched his hand towards the food. "Meat!" he cheered, eliciting a laugh from the older.

Thatch couldn't help but give an amused grin when he saw the look of bliss that crossed the younger's face. Did it really taste that good? The thought made him proud—he _was_ the head chef, after all. "There's more if you're still hungry," he stated, taking a seat next to the Pirate King.

"Thanks! Shishishi!" Luffy smiled at the redhead in a show of gratitude as he devoured everything on the plate.

"I should be thanking you," he replied with a chuckle.

"Hm? Why?"

Thatch grinned and threw his arms behind his head in a lax manner, watching his family eat and drink a little ways away. He looked fondly at Marco as he swung his arm around Ace's shoulders, saying something. "For telling me about my death. Might be able to avoid it," he mused.

"I didn't tell you—you eavesdropped."

"Heh. Sorry about that, by the way."

"…Be careful."

"Yeah, I know." The redhead peered at the traitor from the corner of his vision, eyes narrowing in distrust. He wondered why Teach would try something like that—he was a member of the Whitebeard pirates for more than a decade. "I'll put him in his place if his tries it."

* * *

"Here," Ace said as he stopped at the second-last door in the corridor. Luffy followed quickly after with an eager expression. The freckled pirate entered the room first and motioned for his brother to do the same. Seeing as he trusted the Pirate King he was going to allow him to share his room—at least until they could make room for him somewhere else. Having hundreds of men staying aboard, the Moby Dick had no room left in the living quarters for Luffy to sleep and forcing him to stay on deck constantly felt cruel. Having just become 2nd division commander, Ace was given his own room. The space was large enough to fit two beds and some of the men from the 5th division prepared a second for their guest.

Luffy's eyes were alight as he scanned over the room. He never saw his brother's private quarters, seeing as he was never on the old Moby Dick before his little time-travel incident. He'd been on the new Moby Dick—the one under Marco's command—plenty of times, but it wasn't the same.

"You sure it's okay?" he asked the commander, ceasing his investigation in favour of looking towards the other.

Ace blinked. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"It's just…" Luffy was surprised when Ace made that offer. Sure they had been getting along but it was hardly enough to warrant sharing a room. While Ace trusted him he was also wary and could tell that the older was making a conscious effort to dodge his questions and thought it would put some distance between them, but that wasn't the case.

"We're brothers, right?"

Once more Luffy's face brightened. That was the first time the commander addressed that. Over his stay he noticed that Ace would rarely call him by name and never referred to him as his brother. It looked like he was finally adjusted to the idea. Nothing could make the Pirate King happier.

Instinctively the bug-eyed man latched onto the younger and wrapped him in an embrace.

"O-oi!" Ace began with a start, jumping a little at the sudden touch. He stood there, dumbfounded, unsure of what to do. He was used to Luffy hugging him—he did it all the time when they were kids—but that Luffy was… different. It was awkward to be held by the older man.

"Thanks," Luffy said quietly, gripping tighter to his brother's form.

Ace calmed and his eyes softened. He wondered what was going on in the Pirate King's mind. It seemed that his death affected his little brother greatly; he often caught him looking his way with sorrowful eyes. What did it feel like to meet someone who was dead? Pondering that, he returned the older man's hug with a smile. Even after so many years Luffy was still the same, huh? "What kind of brother would I be if I kicked you out?"

"A jerk," Luffy replied teasingly.

"Oi!"

* * *

Marco, Ace and Luffy found themselves leaning on the rail, watching as the 4th division returned from its mission. The members were hauling their loot onto the main deck and the others aboard were searching through it to see what their comrades found. They'd been gone for just about a week so it was a relief to have them back.

Thatch climbed aboard from one of the smaller ships, chest in hand, smiling cheerily as he meandered over to his friends. He and Ace immediately started talking and telling each other what was going on.

"What's that?" Marco asked, interrupting their conversation. He pointed to the box in the redhead's hand.

"Oh, this?" Thatch pulled his hand forward and lifted the lid, pulling something out. He held tightly to the swirly, purple fruit as he eagerly showed it off to his comrades.

"A Devil Fruit?" Ace asked with wide eyes. They were rare, even in the New World. Sure he had found and ate one but that was completely on accident—he swallowed and almost choked on it while sleepwalking on a foreign island back when he was captain of the Spade pirates. Sure finding one wasn't unheard of, but it was still a pleasant surprise when you did. "What one is it?"

"Still have to figure it out."

"You gonna eat it yoi?" Marco questioned, taking a vested interest in the fruit.

"Dunno. I'm not really interested in becoming an anchor like you guys. I might if it's a good one, though."

As they continued discussing the fruit Luffy couldn't help the wave of unease that washed over his body. He never saw that Devil Fruit before but had a feeling its appearance was a bad omen. Something was going to happen and it wasn't going to be good. All he could do, though, was sit back and wait.

* * *

**A/N: I just realized that this is the only straightforward story I have. Maybe that's why it's popular - no reading between the lines. *shrugs* Thought the ending isn't so straightforward... Well, either way, there you go! Um... I got nothing to say u_u**

**To my lovelies~**

**Umei no Mai: Hehe sorry about that. Blame FF - I had nothing to do with the delay. Thanks.**

**Guest: You'll just have to wait and find out ;) **

**samettikettu: Cola! I swear after drinking that stuff I can write for hours. And not get any sleep. And yes, something bad is going to happen. It always does in my stories.**

**WeissDragon: Very ironic ;) To be honest I find ****_Skip_****'s summary to be boring :/ And people probably just try it out cause they're like "yay time travel!" or "save Ace story FTW!" when it's really not like that... Plus it's simplistic and very basic and that makes it easier for a wider audience to keep up with. I find it dull, to be honest :P**

**alynawatlovers: The story would have ended right away if he did :P I could go back and change it and delete all the chapters after that if enough of you guys wanted me to, but I don't think you do so we shall just have to hate Blackbeard in silence for the time being.**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Lol yeah not sure why it lagged but many people got irritated with it :P Wait and see~**

**Galymed: Yes it is. And the story's just going to get more depressing as time goes on. We get about another 8-10 chapters and believe me when I say that shit will hit the fan. Don't worry about that and just leave everything to me ;) Hehe sorry I haven't updated ****_Reverse_**** in a while... I'll get around to that when I can. My main priorities are ****_Resolve_**** and ****_Divide_**** since those have the most intricate plots so these two aren't updated as often. Plus my hand is hurt, so...**

**Natylol: Yep, it's very sad. It's depressing too. When I read reviews telling me to write longer chapters or hurry with an update it zaps all my motivation. That's part of the reason why this story is the slowest with updates :/ Heh, no worries there, I never listen to people who complain about length :P Though they do irritate me...**

**Cyborgnetics: Glad your eager :)**

**Bluebird42: Hehe yes XD Can you imagine him just constantly questioning him to the point of insanity? That was fun for me.**

**spoons-are-evil: Yep XD Ironic isn't it? You shall see e_e I reveal nothing! Lol I don't troll you much here because it's just a side story and because it has a very simple plot. No need to troll you with small things like this. Yeah, it's sad to get a review only to see its someone complaining. Kinda drains your motivation.**

**Kitsune Foxfire: I've had just as many problems with word processors so either way I'm screwed :P Yeah, originally I was going to have it placed later on but decided against it because it would interfere with the plot and drag things out.**

**azab: Glad you do :)**

**Vampirelover12100: Lol you say it was short yet it's the longest chapter thus far :P I'm glad you like it~ ^^**

**Son Goshen: Well there is a mindfuck later on (and by telling you that I'm going to ruin the surprise but oh well) but I won't say what it is, obviously :P I'm interested in what your idea was hehehe. Glad youl like!**

**Diclonious57: Yes you can :P**

**MeikoKuran999: Let's just say it's not as simple as Ace dying again. And I'll update when I can but please keep in mind that this story is at the bottom of my priorities.**

** .ace: Hehe I will.**

**MySadistChibi: Time travel is overdone and unoriginal though. It lacks the depth that other plots have because everyone does it. And this is technically a future fic, not a time travel fic, anyways. Personally I think this is more popular because it's simplistic and straightforward. Easy-to-understand stories get more follows I've noticed. But I don't care because my ****_Resolve_****, ****_Divide_**** and ****_Reverse_**** reviewers are really sweet and take a further vested interest in the plot than the ****_Skip _****reviewers on average :) I don't really find time travel is much fun anymore. It used to be when I was younger but now... Meh. Overused. That's why I'll be ending this story around 16-20 chapters. It's just not fun anymore. The last chapter and epilogue will be just because I get to mess with you guys but... The rest not so much. Don't force yourself to read it :/ I don't want people to feel obligated and I'm happy with the amount of fans that story has now. They're all really nice people and they brighten my day, especially when I read their reviews where they rant about something that's happening or yell at me for making them cry XD Well here's an update! Expect another in like a month :P (Wow this ended up WAY too long...)**

**Sealing Mistress: I didn't really feel it was quick - I just watched over that scene from the anime and wrote it accordingly (I changed some of it and made it longer in fact :P). Yeah, I find it sad when people take out the little speech things when they write characters too :/**

**Starry Roses: And I love you for it XD Yep, he has. And you'll notice more of a change later on when I actually get around to doing some character developement :P Hehe yep! Gotta love the irony, eh?**

**StrawberryGirlKairi: You'll have to wait and see :) **

**99 luffy: Thanks!**

**SioQu: Haha yes it does XD But yep this is actually a prequel/side story. I won't quit. I'm not willing to quit any of my stories. It just slows me down immensely.**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: Glad you do ^^ Awe you're sweet~ It's nice getting thoughtful reviews like yours!**

**mks 12 98: Yep.**

**Mon Esprite Libre: Keep in mind that this is only a side fic and is at the bottom of my prioities. I'll update when I can, but it won't be fast by any means.**

**sakura240: Hehe you'll probably both love and hate the developement in the next chapter, then. Everyone's been asking about Luffy meeting Luffy XD I find it amusing... Sorry the update's late, but my hand... Yeah. So I just kept up with the more complex stories and temporarily dropped the others in favour of rest. But it's getting better so hopefully the next one won't take so long!**

**ASLfangirl: And I love you for being an awesome reviewer ;) Well you'll just have to wait and see, won't you? Rather than making you cry then ending will probably just piss you off :P I suspect most people will react with "WTF?! SERIOUSLY?" Lol yep Oda traumatized me as well and I started tearing up when I read the 2nd lastest chapter of the manga. You might not get pissed at me per se, but you'll be pissed nonetheless XD**

**13-BlackCat-2020: Glad you do!**

**Girl-luvs-manga: Hehe you shall see soon.**

**Guest: Here's an update!**

**mary d ace: Keep in mind that this is my lowest priority. I'll try my best though.**

**Aimiko: Lol you're not the first to say that XD To be honest I don't like this story's summary :P It lacks enthusiasm. Nope, not AceLuu. The only AceLu fics I have going right now are ****_The Divide_**** and ****_Reverse_****. (Shhh, don't tell the other's that ****_Reverse_**** is AceLu, I haven't told them yet.)**

**Awakened-Masterpiece: Hehe I think they're keeping the addiction and obsession of the users hush-hush ;) Yep, it is a prequel. I've stated in previous chapters that you guys won't like the ending so... Define "well"... I'm glad you've taken an interest in my stories :) That's fine, I'm just glad you decided to review at all ^^**

**deadlycute17: Here's an update!**

**mrsfirefist: Please be patient. This story is at the bottom of my priorities and my hand is injured which makes typing difficult. I'm doing the best I can but getting comments complaining that I haven't updated only reduces my motivation, which is why another reason why this chapter took so long to get out.**

**(Anyways I spent like an hour replying to you guys so I'm going to go eat now. I kinda neglected that... Forgot hunger existed for a while. I'll try to update ****_Reverse_**** and ****_Resolve_**** next. Adieu~)**


	9. The Day It Changed

**Here it is! Starting next chapter I'm going to bump up the minumum word count from 1,000 to 2,000 so look forward to that! I was going to do it for this update but it would have been harder to end it anywhere else.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece. **

* * *

Luffy's eyes peered out into the darkness of the room. He couldn't seem to fall back asleep for whatever reason and instead sat up, wondering if a stroll on deck would help clear his mind. There was so much to think about. He wanted to know what the cause for Teach's betrayal was—or rather, the specific thing he gained from killing Thatch in his time. He also wanted to know how long it would be until he could return home. He didn't want to rush—he liked being able to see his brother, _alive_—but he couldn't help but worry about his crew. He was sent back in time in the midst of a battle with a Yonko. What if something happened?

Sighing, he ran a finger through his matted strands and turned to his brother's bed. Blinking owlishly, he saw that it was empty. With curiosity getting the best of him, he picked himself up off the mattress and strolled out into the hall.

He heard voices from above—shouting. Deciding that was the best place to look, he headed up the stairs.

"—not going to sit back and do nothing!"

…That was Ace's voice, wasn't it? He took a few more steps up the stairs and gazed onto the deck. A crowd had formed, solemnly watching the exchange between captain and commander. Ace looked absolutely livid. Luffy knew the cause immediately.

"Think about this yoi," the first mate interrupted, "you would—"

"I don't care! He _killed_ him, Marco. All for a damned fruit!" Ace lowered his hat over his eyes, hiding the scowl and rage that entered his expression. "And he tarnished his father's name."

With that, the 2nd commander spun around and headed towards the end of the ship. He stopped momentarily when he was met with the face of his brother, silently pleading for him to stay. Biting his lip, he passed.

"Ace…"

"I'm going," the freckled youth replied, voice unwavering as he hopped onto the rail and down, taking off on Striker with no hesitation.

Luffy swallowed and clenched his fists. Ace left. He left and there was nothing to do. Despite all of the knowledge he shared, it still happened. And Thatch…

Brow furrowed, he turned to Newgate. Despite knowing everything, he didn't seem to care that Ace left. In fact, Marco was the same. Why.

"What happened?" Luffy asked, clenching his fist. He didn't want to hear it. He asked, but he already knew. Thatch was dead. Ace was gone. It was worse knowing that after getting to know the 4th division commander and already experiencing the result of that event.

"Teach attacked Thatch and took off yoi," Marco replied, arms folded casually.

"So, then…" Thatch was dead. Ace was gone.

"He's alive."

Luffy's eyes shot up to look at the blonde, both with shock and confusion. Did he hear him right?

"Thatch got stabbed but managed to avoid anything too serious. He's resting in the infirmary yoi."

"But Ace—"

"He doesn't know," Whitebeard chimed in, watching the Pirate King from his chair.

"Why?" His voice grew frantic, wondering why they would keep something like that knowing what happened in his time.

"We can't change things recklessly, brat."

"…Eh?"

Marco took a few steps forward, approaching the owlish pirate calmly. "If we're going to save Ace we have to make sure everything happens as it was supposed to so that we know what to alter later yoi."

"…So you're going to wait until his execution?"

"Exactly," the blonde answered.

"But we couldn't do anything! Even with all of the Whitebeard pirate's allies we still lost!"

"But now we know what happens," Newgate explained. "We can change it. If we were to do something now we wouldn't know what kind of future that would bring."

"But…" Luffy lowered his head and clenched his fist tighter. He didn't want to make Ace experience all of that—the stay in Impel Down nor taking his spot on the execution stand. Did he have a choice, though? Again Robin's words resounded throughout his mind. They managed to save Thatch, but would that be enough?

"We're not going to let him die yoi. He's our brother, too."

The tension released from the Pirate King's shoulders as he looked around at the concerned faces of the crew. He was no longer Ace's only family.

"…Alright. I'll trust you, giant ossan."

"Gurarara! Wise choice, brat!"

* * *

Luffy gripped the knob to the infirmary door and turned it slowly, so as to not disturb the one inside. He peer across the room at the bed that held the bandaged redhead, sighing in relief when he found what the first mate said to be true; he was alive.

He walked in and quietly shuffled to a seat.

"I'm awake, you know," stated a familiar voice.

The Pirate King blinked down at the patient who was flashing a lopsided smile. He grinned down at him, giving his usual laugh and holding out his hand. The chef latched onto it and they stayed there in silence. "We did it!" Luffy shouted cheerily.

They both burst into relieved, excited laughter.

"You're alive!"

"I know!"

"And Ace still ran off!"

There was a pause, then a sigh. "…I know. That kid's going to be the death of me someday."

"I wouldn't be saying that after what happened."

"…Point taken," Thatch replied. Groaning as he shifted, he threw his arms behind his head in a more comfortable pose. "Guess this means I've been granted a few extra years," he said with a laugh.

Luffy scrunched up his nose and furrowed his brow. "Longer than that. I want to see you on the Moby Dick back in my time," he said.

Thatch raised an eyebrow and looked over at the younger man with amusement. "You mean where Marco's captain?"

At first the Pirate King was surprised by that, but then he realized what happened. "Ace?" Despite keeping the secret of his lineage from most anyone he could, he apparently couldn't keep the fact that his crewmate took over for Newgate.

"Ace," Thatch confirmed with a nod.

Luffy sighed. He never saw that side of his brother before—where he couldn't bear to keep something to himself. Ace was always very secretive and liked to keep to himself. He knew he changed after joining the Whitebeard pirates but they met so little in those last few years that he never got to see to what extent. "So he told you Marco became a Yonko?"

"He what?" Thatch asked as he shot up in bed with wide eyed, cringing and gripping his wound when pain shot through his torso.

The pirate blinked. "He didn't?"

"Marco? A Yonko? _Our_ Marco?" The commander raised a hand to his forehead in a show of disbelieve.

"Shishishi!" His reaction was more amusing than Ace's.

"I can't believe it… Just… _Marco _of all people…"

"But don't tell!" Luffy commanded, raising a finger to his mouth.

Thatch nodded with a determined look on his face as he lied back down on the mattress, still mauling that bit of information over in his head.

Before another word could be said, the door opened. In came an all too familiar blonde pineapple. He stared blankly at them, wondering why they were giving him strange looks. After a while he decided to ignore it; logic rarely applied to those two. "How you feeling?"

"Fine," Thatch answered nervously. "Just, well…"

"What yoi?"

Thatch glanced over at Luffy who was giving him a 'don't you dare' kind of look. "…It's nothing."

"Marco," the Pirate King interrupted before the redhead could let something slip, "what did the old guy say?"

The first mate rolled his eyes at the way the younger spoke about the old man, then shook his head. "He doesn't want you to leave yet."

"What? Why?" Earlier Luffy discussed chasing after Ace with Newgate but the Yonko didn't seem too thrilled about the idea. Still, the Pirate King felt uneasy with Ace being out on his own, knowing what would eventually happen.

"Just give it time yoi. You really think he wants to see you when he thinks Thatch is dead? He has a temper."

"But…"

"Wait until Oyaji says to. Then you can go with Ace, alright?"

Luffy pouted. He didn't like that. He didn't want his brother out of his sight for that long. But he knew that he had to trust the old man. After all, what did he know about planning? It wasn't exactly his strong point. So, despite his reluctance, he nodded.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for any mistakes. I'm too tired to proof-read. I'll try getting the next chapter up by May 1st but please forgive me if it's late. Anyways, hope you enjoyed!**

**To my lovelies~**

**Bluebird42: Yeah sorry bonus won't be til near the end ^^; **

**samettikettu: Thatch made it! :D**

** : Yep. The plot's a'rolling!**

**deadlycute17: Aren't they? XD**

**Mel72000: Of course it is! :) You're welcome~**

**Awakened-Masterpiece: Then... probably not well ^^; That would be too easy :P**

**WeissDragon: Isn't it?! I find it kind of funny because ****_Divide_**** is overly complex, ****_Imagined Life_**** is full of secrets****_ Reverse_**** is holding back vital information, ****_Resolve _****keeps things from the characters, ****_To Be a Boy _****is dramatic and full of angst, and then ****_Skip _****is just really straightforward where you know almost everything going into it :P You're welcome~**

**spoons-are-evil: Everyone hates Teach :P Yeah, I prefer reading between the lines and having a lot of suspense too, which is why I keep wondering why this fic has the most readers XD Lol it's okay, I like reading your rambles!**

**Portgas D. Paula: Don't worry, he still made it! :D**

**Vampirelover12100: Hope it met your expectations!**

**Son Goshen: ...You were correct XD**

**Starry Roses: I will!**

**Jacyl: Really? There are plenty of really awesome ones out there, like ****_Burning Rubber_****, so maybe give that a read ^^ Yeah, overpowered characters and OC stories are everywhere, sadly. Maybe you'll like some of my other stuff? I try to avoid that if I can. Either way, hope you enjoy!**

**Mon Esprite Libre: There will be plenty of time travel fics in the future of my fanfic career muahaha. Glad you like!**

** .ace: He's alive :) And the PM you sent me was the reason I updated earlier than planned, so pat yourself on the back!**

**SioQu: Nope :D And glad you like~**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: He's okay, don't worry ^^**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Hehe really glad you like my fics! Well he's alive, at least.**

**mrsfirefist: Hand is healed and here it is!**

**Haruka-desu: Yep, Teach did Teach stuff. And failed! Bwahaha!**

**YingYang21: He didn't ^^ And here it is!**

**janzen222: ...I cannot reply without revealing something, so I will keep my mouth shut XD**

**Sealing Mistress: He didn't :) Draw a scene? Sure! I would love to see it so if you do please send me the link! :D**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Yep, we are. But things are a'changing!**

**GrimmjowYaoi: Here's an update!**

**99 Luffy: Glad you enjoyed :)**

**Cyborgnetics: Shhh keep that thing about ****_Reverse_**** a secret XD **

**TheRoseJr: Never! XD I'll keep writing, don't worry~**

**AkaNeko-san: I will keep updating, don't worry :) **

**kamiam714: I'll update when I can :)**

**shimaxkutau: Actually if you look at the Drum Island arc, they said that Blackbeard was there a year earlier, so Luffy hadn't set sail yet. Unless the translators got it wrong when I read it o.o But either way it's not meant to stay canon.**

**azab: Everyone hates Teach :P**

**ASLfangirl: Yeah, Oda made Thatch awesome just to kill him off T^T**

**angelrider13: Lol it's okay, I enjoyed that XD**

** : I'll update when I can ^^**

**trisha23flow: Hehe that was a fun part to write.**

**Okami Endless: Hmm... not this exactly, but you could try my other fics if you like the writing style.**

**Guest: The blue-eyed Yonko isn't in ****_Resolve_****. He's the only one who's different :)**

**Naru: Then the story would end really abruptly XD "And Teach died. The end." That would be pretty interesting, actually.**

**sairakanzaki: Well I'm glad you like it! Here's an update~**

**HiBaRixTsUnA1827FaN XD: Here's an update!**

**Red-The-Drawing-Ninja: Glad you like!**

**ilyena damodred: Replied via PM.**

**Guest (2): I update when I can but since it's a side-fic it's a lower priority. Also I have exams until the 24th. But I'll try to get the next one up May 1st!**

**buslimpan: Thank you! **

**(I tried to keep the replies short but it's still pretty long ^^; Sorry. Wanna know why it's so long? We got 45 reviews! That is just... wow. Amazing. Seriously, just... Wow. I didn't even realize until I did the replies... Thank for your support! Hope this will tide you over until the beginning of May! If not, you can check out my other fics while you're waiting :) Anyways, love you all and I hope you have a good Thursday. Adieu~)**


	10. Drift and Vivre

**FINALLY! This was so hard to write, and I don't even know why. I tried repeatedly to write this chapter since I uploaded the last, but over the course of a month I only wrote 234 words. Yeah. It was THAT bad. But then today I thought of a scene I want to put it towards the end of the fic (which I'm REALLY looking forward to writing) and was so inspired I managed to write the rest of the chapter in one sitting. And it's over 2,000 words, as promised :D Hope you enjoy and please drop a review to tell me what you think!**

**Also, the next chapter will likely be a bonus. Or the one after that, depending on how long it takes me to write. It'll probably be around 5,000 words. All I can really say about it is that it involves time travel, which is how it connects to the story. I'll start working on it either tomorrow or Saturday :D**

****I started two new stories called ****_Within_**** (Ace is an amnesiac - typical memory loss story) and ****_Flame and Phoenix _****(About what happens after Marco dies) so check them out if you think they might interest you ^^**

**Disclaimer: Have I ever owned One Piece? No? Then I don't own it now u_u**

* * *

Luffy grinned like a madman from his place on the figurehead of the Moby Dick, laughing to himself in anticipation. Finally he could leave. Finally he could search for Ace. It'd been a while but the old man was allowing him to go out and join his brother—maybe change a few things he wasn't supposed to along the way. That he would have to keep to himself, though.

Breathing in deeply, his lungs filled with the sea air. It felt nostalgic, especially seeing that he was in the past. He wanted to savour it while he could because he knew his next stop would be Alabasta. Spending a while in those deserts was sure to exhaust him just as it did before. Staying for long voyages on land wasn't really his idea of a good time. Still, he had no choice; he had no idea where Ace was at that point and since the man didn't bother to take a damn den den mushi with him there was no way of contacting him, nor pinpointing his location, so he'd have to wait to run into him in the desert.

Briefly he wondered if Ace missed them—Luffy and the Whitebeard pirates. He'd been gone for so long already yet never bothered to contact them. Was he still fuming over what Teach did or had he calmed down? More importantly, would he get mad when his brother demanded they travel together?

Luffy's unwavering grin started to sag a little. Ace probably wouldn't like having his older-younger-brother there. He'd feel like he was being babysat, and by the boy who never won in a fight against him no less. The Pirate King mused that thought for a while. Sure he didn't win against him when they were children, but he was sure he would if they fought then—he was the strongest man to sail the sea in his time. But he wasn't invincible. As much as he'd love to spar with Ace again after so many years, he wasn't sure if he could. His brother was strong, but Luffy saw him die. Even though he tried to be strong, just thinking about it scared him. He wasn't willing to fight him—not after just getting him back. What if he lost him… again?

"Ah!" the pirate shouted, scrunching up his face and shaking his head. There was no time to worry about that! He had to leave soon—to find Ace! If he truly wanted to save his brother, he had to keep his calm, even if that wasn't the easiest thing for him to do. Ace knew he was going to die but didn't know when or where. He was moving forward blind. That meant it was up to Luffy to protect him, even if his brother didn't like it.

"Alright!" the Pirate King shouted again, stretching his arms into the air. He was starting to get pumped up again. He would keep Ace safe! That was his mission! Then, when he returned to his time, maybe… maybe Ace would be waiting for him. Maybe he would get his brother back.

Laughing from behind him brought Luffy away from his internal pep-talk. He blinked at the sound then turned to face it, met with the smiling faces of the 4th division commander and first mate.

"What are you getting all excited for?" Thatch asked, taking interest in the Pirate King's outburst.

Luffy's face curved into a grin. "It's 'cause I get to see Ace! Shishishi!"

Marco shook his head, amused, before walking up to the man sitting on the whale figurehead, offering a backpack. "This is for your journey yoi."

"Is there meat?"

The phoenix sighed. "Yes, Luffy, there's meat."

"Made it all myself," the redhead chimed.

Luffy eyed the bag momentarily, scrutinizing it. "…It's small."

"Hm?"

The pirate pouted. "That's not going to last me all the way 'til Alabasta."

"Deal with it yoi."

"But I'll starve!"

Marco sighed and rubbed his temple in the hope of quelling his ensuing headache. "Then take a fishing rod and catch your own food yoi. If we gave you your fill, we'd have nothing left onboard."

The pirate seemed to consider that before his grin returned. "Shishishi! Okay!"

The first mate let out a breath of relief, then tossed the bag into the arms of the other.

"We're giving you one of our smaller boats," Thatch began, throwing his arms behind his head. "It's no match for Striker, but it's still pretty fast. If you know where you're going you should be able to beat him there."

Again, Luffy's face sagged. "I'm a horrible navigator. Nami said so herself."

They ignored the part about the girl they didn't know. "Will you be alright?"

He nodded.

"Good," the redhead continued. "I would hate to meet a Pirate King who couldn't find his way through the Grand Line," he teased.

"Oi!"

"Either way," Marco interrupted, "remember your deal with Oyaji yoi."

Luffy thought about that for a moment before giving the blonde a far less energetic nod. One of the terms he agreed to in order to go see his brother was that he would return to the Moby Dick periodically throughout his journey, even if it meant separating from Ace. It was the Pirate King's job to keep track of where they went and what they found. When they regrouped he was to update them on everything that happened. Whitebeard would alter his plan according to any new developments. That way they could assure to a fuller extent that nothing would interfere with their rescue of the fire user. As much as Luffy didn't want to part with his sibling, he knew it was best for him to do so.

Absently he accepted a baby den den mushi from Marco. He stared at it momentarily, noting the ASCE lightly etched into its shell before slipping it into his bag.

"Give that to Ace," the blonde commanded. "If he has that we'll be able to keep track of you two yoi."

"Alright!"

"And remember what Oyaji told you: no changing things yoi."

Luffy rolled his eyes. "I know, Marco," he stated. It was true—he was fully aware of what the Yonko said to him. That didn't mean he was inclined to listen, though. If he were to stumble upon a favourable situation he would take it wholeheartedly. But he would keep quiet about it, for fear of another lecture from the blonde. Marco may have been his nakama and drinking buddy but he was too strict! "Hurry! I wanna go see Ace!"

The first mate gave him a weary look before gesturing for the younger to follow him. "You won't see him right away, you know."

"I know that." He paused. Before allowing the commander to lead him to the boat he would take, he turned to look at Whitebeard. The captain was sitting in his chair as usual, a bottle of sake in his hand, much to horror of his nurses. Luffy smiled at him then waved. "Thanks for everything, old man!"

"Cheeky brat," Newgate mumbled as his mouth curved into a smirk. "Get going."

* * *

It was a hot day—hotter than any other since Luffy set out. With not a cloud in the sky, the sun beating mercilessly down on his small, wooden boat, everything seemed nostalgic. If it weren't for his inability to swim he would have dove into the water for a chance to cool down.

The pirate king found himself lying against the deck of the small ship, arms and legs spread out in all directions. He breathed shallow breaths, tongue hanging from the corner of his mouth. There was no food left—hadn't been for a while. It'd been so long since he had to cook for himself that he forgot how terrible he was. Sure he could do the basics like frying a couple of sea kings but otherwise his skills were lacking. Oh how he missed Sanji and the magic he worked in the kitchen. He was regretting not dragging Thatch along—that guy made amazing meals, too.

He wasn't sure how many days had passed since he left the Moby Dick. At some point he lost track. His homesickness was getting stronger. Being out there on the sea, all alone, had him missing the crew he left in the future. How were they doing? So much time had passed since the day he fought that Yonko and ended up where he was… They all got out of that battle alright on their own, didn't they? He was sure they did. He may have held the title of the strongest but they were all capable of protecting themselves. In fact, were it not for them he never would have obtained that title. Yeah, they were fine. He still missed them, though.

_Tap._

Luffy would've given up half of his meat if it meant he could hear one of Brook's songs. It didn't matter which—be it _Bink's Sake, New World_ or any in between—he just wanted to hear one. He wanted to dance along to the music and sing with Usopp and Chopper, goof around on deck until lunch was ready.

_Tap._

They would all gather in the mess hall to eat. He would get yelled at by Sanji for trying to steal Nami and Robin's food, promptly followed by a kick to his skull. Then he'd give up and go after Zoro's plate. But, well… Zoro was _really _good at guarding his food. Luffy probably would succeed. Still, there were other members of the crew he could steal from, Like Franky and—

_Tap tap._

"Ah!" Luffy shouted as he shot up from lying on the wood, causing the birds pecking at his head to scatter and fly off into the air. He eyed them with irritation, hating that his daydream was interrupted. _Stupid birds…_

Looking out onto the water, Luffy's eyes widened. He took back whatever internal curses he had for those birds. It was because of them that he was seeing what he was—an island off in the distance, approaching quickly. Or, well, _he_ was approaching _it._ But forget technicalities—he couldn't contain his excitement. Finally he was nearing land. He loved the sea but spending that long alone made solid ground look so inviting.

Glancing down at the eternal pose resting beside his leg, his mouth widened into the brightest smile he could manage. That was Alabasta. He'd finally reached the desert island he'd been searching for. There he would meet Ace. And…

Luffy blinked. The first time he saw his brother after he set out to become a pirate was at Alabasta. Then… his younger self would be there, right? His crew? Would he be able to meet them? He wanted to, even if he couldn't say who he was—even if they didn't recognize him. They were his nakama, his family. Other than the two years they spent apart after the Marineford war, he hadn't been away from them for very long. Ten years they were together. Seeing them became a part of everyday life. Being separated from them for so long… it was hard.

With the island coming closer and closer, Luffy brought his thoughts back to the situation. He shoved his hand into his pocket and rummaged around. When he eventually removed it, there, between his fingers, was a tiny piece of paper with _Edward Newgate_ scribbled on one side. Seeing that brought up a lot of old memories.

_"Keep it with you, always."_

Unfolding the paper, he smoothed over its creases and stared. He didn't use vivre cards much—not since back then. Whenever he wanted to find someone, he could usually figure out where they were on his own. Holding one wasn't very comfortable for him.

Despite his dislike for the cards, he made and exception just that once. That time he wouldn't allow it to become a burden. He wouldn't make it into a mistake. That small, seemingly insignificant scrap of paper would help him save his brother. He was certain. They could do it.

_"It'll allow us to meet again."_

_I'll make sure of it._

* * *

**A/N: So basically I took this chapter to show you Luffy's thoughts, since we really haven't been focusing much on that. Next chapter will be all about his time in Alabasta! And I'll try to update faster, just remember that this is still a side-fic so it's not my top priority. Sorry for taking so long!**

**To my lovelies~**

**Mel72000: You're welcome~ Yeah, I love Thatch. I don't know what it is about him but he's so lovable XD**

**Iris J.F. : Hehehe you'll have to wait and find out :P**

**mi-chan94: You'll have to wait and see ^^**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: I hate killing him off XD It was hard to do in ****_Reverse._**

**VarisVaris: So did I ;_; Ace's death in the anime still makes me cry, no matter how many times I watch it...**

**Neko-VongolaPrimo: I think so too. Lol since when did I say it wasn't going to mess with time? I just said it wasn't a 'save Ace' story :P You'll just have to wait and see~**

**janzen222: Huh? o.o What's this about foreshadowing? There's plenty of it in the fic... you just have to look for it. Not nearly as much as in my other stories, though.**

**Bluebird42: Lol I'm sure you're not dead XD Yep! That's one win for Luffy and the WB pirates! Awe I love you too *hugs***

**trisha23flow: Nope! He living! Yep. Damn it, Ace, making the story so much more complex -_-**

**Kitsune Foxfire: Yep! :) Hehe that was my favourite part of the chapter to write. Maybe, maybe not. You'll find out later!**

**Red-The-Drawing-Ninja: Glad you enjoyed ^^ Who knows? :P**

**Son Goshen: Yes it is XD He's alive and it was all a part of Whitebeard's plan. Maybe, maybe not. The only clue I'll give you to anything that happens in the future of this fic is that ****_Reverse_**** is worse. Make of that what you will :P**

** : Can't say :P**

**Guest: Yep the forth Yonko for ****_Resolve _****and ****_Skip _****are different people. You'll find out why later.**

**XxSaorixX: Lol that's IF Ace finds out about it :P**

**Girl-luvs-manga: Indeed he is.**

**Ari: Here it is :)**

**deadlycute17: Me too T^T But we always have fanfiction!**

**azab: Lol no need to apologise, I'm just happy you reviewed at all XD**

**The-Chibi-Master564: You're welcome!**

**Gol D. Liandra: Welcome then, new reader! :D Hehe isn't it? XD Well I'm really happy you're enjoying it and I hope you liked this update!**

**ASLfangirl: Lol it would be VERY weird XD**

**spoons-are-evil: You just know things aren't going to go as planned XD Pfft I don't believe in fate! But I've stated this isn't a 'save Ace' story, soo... well, make of that what you will. Nope, never does :P Lol he probably would be.**

**Mon Esprite Libre: Good ^^**

**man100141: You flatter me ^^ Oda's only sometimes magnificent :P There are some parts of One Piece that make me want to lecture him, but other than those, yes, he is magnificent. Really happy you like my rendition of adult Luffy, it was so hard to write him originally!**

**Artemis Decibal: Glad you like ^^ Lol you are? Great! It's nice to hear from new readers :) It's a secret plotline :P You'll find out the rules of this time travel and the Yonko's ability along with the characters, so I can't give it away. Hmm... well there are some where Ace goes back to when he's a kid, but... I don't remember the titles, sorry!**

**edboy4926: I will :)**

**Guest (2): Please be patient. I have 8 stories to keep up along with real life and this is only a side story so it's not my top priority. I try to update once a month at least but I can't promise any more than that. I hope you understand.**

**MemoriesOfVoxie: Glad you like!**

**Vaughn Tyler: Glad you like!**

**Hiiro Kumo: I'm happy you're enjoying ^^ Here's an update~**

**LyricojaeCassie: I can't say whether it'll turn out better or worse than canon, so you'll just have to wait and find out :)**

**(Gah, I missed you guys. I'm really hoping I don't have trouble with this fic anymore. Seriously, a month to write 234 words? That's ridiculous, especially when I wrote the rest of it in one night. But since I'll be starting the bonus, I doubt I'll have much trouble. I always have ideas for bonuses :D So I'll -hopefully- see you guys soon! Remember to take a look at my other fics to see if they're to your liking! Adieu~)**


	11. I'm Hungry!

**I'm high on life right now (and caffeine). Remember how the last fic was the longest chapter? Well this one's even longer :D And it's my second update today (Imagined Life was the other one, for anyone who's curious). So I hope you enjoy! Oh, as for the bonus, it's going to be a little longer til I get it up. I kind of started a new fic and wrote 3 chapters of that instead... hehehe...**

**Oh, and if anyone's interested in seeing some One Piece art, you can go to my Tumblr or YouTube and I just uploaded some stuff :) And on my profile I have a section where I showcase all of the fanart I get. You guys are too nice to me, I swear.**

**Question: If you could go back in time, when would you choose and what would you do?**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own words! Isn't that sad? But I would run One Piece into the ground if I owned it, so... probably a good thing.**

* * *

_This isn't real… is it?_

The pirate king gaped at the green-haired man standing in front of him, giving him a confused look.

"Oi, you coming, Captain?"

Luffy blinked. "Ah, yeah…" His voice trailed as the gears turned in his head, wondering just how he got himself into that situation. But Zoro didn't seem to notice. Should he play along? Should he pretend to be the crew's captain? Well, he _was _the captain, but he wasn't _then_. Messing with the past to such an extent had to be a mistake. He had to get out of there. If he did, though, wouldn't that be more suspicious? Going along with it for a little while wouldn't hurt… right?

The swordsman eyed him suspiciously and he flinched. Did he realize?

"W-what?" Luffy managed to choke out. Oh how he hoped he didn't discover the truth.

Zoro's eyes narrowed. "You look kind of…" After a few moments of staring, he shrugged. "It's nothing." With that, he turned and started walking away.

The pirate king let out a breath of relief and followed his crewmate tiredly. He'd been in Alabasta for almost a week waiting for his brother. It seemed he was far ahead, though, because Ace never showed. Or maybe he was already there and Luffy just kept missing him. Then, only ten minutes ago, he ran into Roronoa Zoro—his first mate. Only… it was the Zoro from the past, not the future. He recognized Luffy immediately but assumed him to be the one he knew, not the one ten years from then. Apparently he didn't notice the changes much, which was strange. But Luffy would go with it.

Still, as happy as he was to see the man, he couldn't help but worry. How much would the past change because of their encounter? What if they realized? What would that affect? Luffy wasn't the type of guy to worry about the consequences of his actions all that much, but… he was there to save Ace. He didn't want to change anything that might put him in danger. What if…

"Who's that?"

Luffy's ears were met with a familiar sound—a voice. At some point he stopped walking along with the one in front of him. He had to think a few seconds before placing the speaker as Sanji. If he were in his time he would have immediately demanded lunch. But, as luck had it, Sanji wasn't coming to the same conclusion as the first mate.

"Ha?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? It's Luffy."

When the pirate king raised his head he saw his crewmembers' eyes widen. They were all there—Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper and Nami. Vivi was there, too, off to the side. He couldn't tell whether they were fooled or not. Judging by how guarded their expressions became, they weren't. And, as much as he wanted to hang around them for a while, he knew it wasn't likely to happen. They were on edge, just like back when he went after Crocodile with his crew. They wouldn't trust him so easily and it was probably better that way. He missed them, though…

Giving them a weak smile, Luffy waved. "Hey," he greeted, watching as their muscles tensed.

"Zoro…" Usopp began, moving to hide behind the blonde cook, "that's not Luffy."

"You guys are—"

"It's not him," Nami stated. "He's taller than Luffy. His complexion's darker, a-and that scar…" She pointed to his chest.

They were mistaking him for an enemy, weren't they? Well, that wasn't surprising. Bon could transform into other people. Oh, wait, had they met him at that point? It was so long ago… But either way, a lot of people were after them and someone showed up who looked eerily like their captain… yeah, he couldn't blame them.

Sanji took his cigarette between two fingers, shoving his free hand into his pocket as he blew out a puff of smoke. "Who are you, you shitty imposter?"

Luffy folded his arms and scrunched his face into a pout. He didn't like being told he was a bad imposter… of himself. And he didn't want to fight them. Back then… they were really weak, weren't they? He'd be scared to hurt them. Of course, he would never say that to their faces—especially Zoro or Sanji. They'd kill him… or try. But after ten years, his time in Alabasta felt like nothing. Crocodile almost killed him in the past but after he became the pirate king he couldn't even consider him a threat. What to do…

"I'm… mmmm… Lucy!"

They deadpanned.

"W-well, he lies like Luffy…" Usopp said with a sigh. He was starting to relax.

"Shishishi!" He wasn't going to last, was he? He missed them so much and even just being with them for a few minutes he wanted to blurt out the truth. They were his nakama and being away from them for so long… it was hard. Marco and the old guy wouldn't be _too_ mad at him, would they? "That's 'cause I _am_ Luffy!"

To prove his point, he grabbed the side of his mouth and pulled, stretching it in his usual fashion and watching as they all gaped. They were all well aware that two of the same devil fruit couldn't exist at the same time. After showing his abilities, they wouldn't be able to deny it. That didn't mean they'd blindly accept it, though. Just what he'd expect of his crew!

Zoro was the first to break the silence after Luffy's skin bounced back into place. "I told you," he said simply.

The pirate king couldn't help but feel a little relieved. Even with how much he changed over the years, his first mate could still tell who he was, no questions asked. It was nice. The rest, however… they would need a while to adjust—not that he was planning on staying long enough for them to do so.

"Y-you're really…? But look at you! What happened?" Usopp asked, gesturing to his Marineford scar.

"You're so different… We just saw you an hour ago," Nami stated, looking him up and down.

"Well…" Luffy scrunched up his face and plopped cross-legged on the ground, leaning against the side of a building. How should he word it? He had to be carefu—oh who cared? He'd already royally screwed himself over. No point in hiding it now. "It's been ten years, so of course I changed."

Their mouths dropped again, all except Zoro's. He seemed content with the information.

"Ah, right: I'm from the future."

"Makes sense," Zoro said, folding his arms and closing his eyes, giving a curt nod of approval.

"How?" Usopp and Nami shouted with irritation.

"It's Luffy," the swordsman replied simply.

They nodded. Sadly, that really _did_ make sense.

Luffy knew by the looks on their faces that they were about to ask him a bunch of questions and he was horrible at keeping secrets. He had to get away. But he was hungry! He wanted to eat Sanji's cooking! Wait… Hungry… There was something…

"Ah!" he noised in realization as he rose to his feet. When he first met Ace in Alabasta he was hungry. He was separated from his crew, as well. Smiling, he'd located his brother. Without a word to his baffled crewmembers, he took off at top speed.

Following his nose, he came across a vaguely familiar scent. It floated through the air along with aromas from all the stands and shops around the city. Having a nose trained to sift through all other smells to locate food, he didn't even have to put an effort into discovering what direction the restaurant was in. After that he ran.

Several minutes later found him at the entranceway to the place he would meet his brother. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside. A crowd had formed around the place, each individual fixated on one specific part of the room. They whispered about something called a desert strawberry—Luffy hadn't a clue what that was, but he didn't care, either. He was more interested in the person in question, who allegedly drop dead in the middle of a conversation—while eating, no less.

Grinning, the pirate king walked past the gathering and to the back of the restaurant, sitting two seats away from the 'dead' man wearing a bright orange hat. He refrained from looking at him, knowing that he shouldn't reveal himself so soon. After all, it would only be a few minutes until his past self would show up, right? He had to try not to mess that up, at least; he'd done enough damage for the time.

Suddenly the corpse's head sprung up, alarming the crowd as he stared off in a daze. Shouts of "He came back to life!" echoed throughout the room. Blinking a few times, he looked left and right before wiping his face on a woman's skirt. The woman screamed and ran off, but Ace didn't really care. Instead he just groaned.

"Damn, I fell asleep."

The crowd was bewildered but eventually they lost interest and dispersed. He was talking with some of the onlookers before, once more, his head hit the table, eliciting more annoyance than concern. Through it all Luffy just smiled next to him, remaining silent. With how often he was having narcoleptic attacks, it was likely his brother wouldn't notice him immediately. He'd be too out of it. That was fine. He wanted to wait until Ace greeted his younger self, anyways. It would be weird seeing himself… but it would be so cool, too!

It wasn't long after Fire Fist woke a second time that Smokey arrived. They exchanged a few words about Luffy before the marine put his devil fruit ability to use, preparing to attack the commander. Through it all Ace remained calm and relax, leisurely taking in the encounter without noticing his older-younger-brother off to the side.

"—and you're a pirate." Luffy clued into the conversation right when Smoker said that. It had him turning his head to catch a glimpse. Smokey looked so young!

"What a dumb reason," Ace stated, grinning all-the-while. Slowly he raised his head, revealing a cocky grin. "Shall we have some fun, then?"

Before the other had a chance to reply, with neither moving from their spots, Luffy faintly heard one of his attacks being called from outside the restaurant. He was certain of what came next and turned away so that his face wouldn't be visible. _This is it._

"—Rocket!" shouted a younger, higher-pitched Luffy as he came flying in through the front door, crashing into Smoker and Ace and sending them both flying through the wall. The pirate king grinned; he didn't remember doing that, actually. The look on Ace's face was hilarious!

"A restaurant!" the younger shouted. "I finally found one!"

Being reminded of that made the pirate king's stomach growl. He was so hungry! And Sanji was only a short run away! And he was _in a restaurant! _But he had to wait, to keep quiet… didn't have to like it, though.

"Now I can eat! I'm starving!"

The older pirate pouted. _No fair!_

Immediately the rookie ran up to the bar and sat on the stool next to his counterpart, ignoring everything around him in favour of his appetite. "Ossan! Food, food, food! Hurry!" Eventually his younger self started something of a chant, demanding to be fed immediately.

When he was stuffing his face, the chef warned him, telling him to get out of there because he just sent a marine and a notorious pirate flying through the wall. Apparently he hadn't realized he did it, nor did he care. Well, that was just like him.

Vaguely the pirate king could hear Ace's voice from far off. He couldn't make out what was said, but it sounded like cursing or complaining, followed by a very formal and polite tone. Was he apologising for something? _Ace can be so weird sometimes. _Only seconds later did the irritated commander appear in the hole in the wall, searching for whoever sent him flying as the people in the building vacated out of fear. His face brightened tremendously and he took a step forward. "Lu—"

Smoker came from behind and slammed his head into the ground. Straw Hat immediately ran off after registering who he was and the marine followed close behind, leaving the Whitebeard pirate in the dust. He picked himself up from amongst the rubble, once more cursing as he realized his brother was now gone. Brushing himself off, Ace took a step forward, ready to chase after the rubbery brat.

"Oi, Lu—" He stopped, cutting himself off as he stared at the man sitting on a bar stool, smiling at him. His eyes widened as he took in the pirate king's appearance. "…Luffy?"

The pirate flashed him a toothy grin. "Hey, Ace," he greeted casually before grabbing some small leftovers his counterpart hadn't been able to shove into his mouth.

The commander blinked, stepping nearer to the man. "What are you doing here?"

Immediately Luffy's face sagged into a pout. "Looking for you," he explained.

"Wh—"

"You shouldn't have run off like that, stupid." It was rare for him to use such a childish tone now that he was older, but Luffy wasn't sure what else to do to stop from lashing out at his brother. After spending so many years without him and seeing him make the same horrible mistake of chasing after Blackbeard, he wanted nothing more to yell at the pirate like a scolding parent. But Luffy wasn't like that and, though he wasn't sure he agreed with it, Ace running off was part of the giant ossan's plan so he would go along with it. But that didn't mean he would just pretend like everything was alright. It wasn't. It wouldn't be until Ace was safe. "You should listen to your captain, Ace."

The commander furrowed his brow and pulled his mouth into a taut line. "I—"

"Save it," Luffy interrupted, inhaling the bits of food still left on the plate. Despite the lax atmosphere created by his eating, his tone wasn't very like himself. Instead it seemed almost dangerous, holding silent fury and disappointment, something akin to scolding. "I don't want excuses and I don't want you to rationalize what you did. Besides, you should probably get going."

"Huh?" Ace questioned absently. He seemed more focused on the tone his brother was using. Luffy rarely acted according to his title and age. He was a childish adult and too laid back to be a proper pirate king, many criticised. But, despite how he usually acted, he could fit his role when need be.

"He's getting away and he can't take smoker by himself," the pirate stated, finishing the last bit of scraps on the plate.

Ace's eyes widened as he realized what his brother was saying. "Shit!" he cursed, dashing out of the restaurant and following the trail of the two who left him behind.

Luffy watched him go then sighed. He didn't mean to act all serious and out of character, but… Ace was being stupid! Though he would have done the same in his position, had he not seen his brother die because of the brash decision to hunt the traitor down. They were both like that, ever since they were kids. No one should ever get away with hurting nakama, but putting himself in danger to get revenge wasn't a good solution.

Eyeing the empty plates littering the countertop, Luffy glanced at the back room and grinned. Since the owner was gone, he wouldn't mind if the pirate king made himself a _little snack_, would he?

* * *

**A/N: I had a lot of fun with this one. Don't know why, but I thoroughly enjoyed it :D Plus it's longer than all the other chapters AND it didn't take me a month to update! Isn't that fantastical? Feel free to drop a review and tell me what you think :)**

**To my lovelies~**

**Mel72000: You're welcome ^^**

**mrsfirefist: AND I UPDATED AGAIN! :D **

**DeviousKat: Ace was the most emotional for me and still is T^T You're too kind really ;_; Thanks fo much for the compliments, though. Seriously, I'm all giddy now and feel like writing the next chapter. While the priority is low for this fic, I still enjoy writing it a lot ^^**

**Bluebird42: Yep, that was the set-up chapter and this is the beginning of "Phase 2" XD **

**buslimpan: Lol and then what does he do this chapter? Messes everything up epically XD **

**sakura240: It's okay, I love hearing from you whether you review often or not ^^ Hehe well he met them! Here's a quick update! (at least for me...)**

**LyricojaeCassie: You're welcome :)**

**Vaughn Tyler: Thanks :)**

**sairakanzaki: He did muahaha! Here's an update!**

**TheBlackSpirit: Awe you're so sweet! Thank you ^^**

**Natylol: Sadly u_u but they still have an important role to play so don't worry, they'll return! This update was my quickest in months ;)**

**ruhiko: Glad you like :D**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: He did! Though Robin's not part of his crew yet.**

**Gol D. Liandra: Lol basically XD Well they haven't spoken... yet... but he got to meet his younger crew so yay! :D**

**youshouldn'tneedtoknow: He figured out what to do (after royally screwing himself over XD)**

**Aria Eragon: Well you found out some of those answers, at least :P Glad you like him! He was SO hard to write in the beginning until I got used to it... -_-;**

**JackTheRabbit: Glad you're enjoying ^^**

**Son Goshen: Wow, that's dark. I warned you guys that you might hate me for the ending but I think that's worse XD Actually... maybe not ._. Here's an update~**

**Guest: Here you go! Though I make no promises when it comes to character death ._.**

**spoons-are-evil: You're really good at guessing XD Or maybe I'm becoming too predictable...**

**Red-The-Drawing-Ninja: Exactly! Luffy wouldn't be Luffy if he didn't mess things up! **

**Girl-luvs-manga: I make no promises :P**

**Sir Cookie: Actually, it wasn't Ace who asked "Remember Sabo?" it was Luffy. So Luffy mentioned him. The reason it worked was because no one knew they had a third brother, let alone his name. Ace didn't ask any that question :/**

**Kitsune Foxfire: You're correct :D Exactly. After reading ****_Resolve_**** it's hard to know what to root for, isn't it?**

**MyIcedCoffee: Thanks :)**

**MissLuffy-Kun: Well he sort of met him ;)**

**LostFairyMantic: So happy to hear you're enjoying it ^^**

**JadeTatsu: It wasn't that they could have stopped him, but that Luffy didn't want to get on the bad side of Ace's crew. Sorry about the mistakes/typos, back then I never bothered to proof read. Please tell me if you find any others! Nah, I'm not a pessimist. I just used that line to fit into what was going on in the story. Plus, from personal experience, time does really take away a lot of what you remember of the people you lose. My mom only died a year ago and when I try to remember her I have to put more effort into it, but 10 years? I forgot a lot about the people I knew who died that long ago. As for the regret part, I just figured it fit Luffy's situation well. Interesting idea for the ending :) I never actually thought of that, to be honest. I've tried doing a tiny bit a day but then I end up rewriting it anyways because it ends up too choppy. Normally I'm only satisfied with it if I finish it in 1-4 sittings, otherwise it just has no substance to it :/ I'm not a very talented author, sadly u_u Despite that, I hope you still enjoyed the read!**

**CrystalVixen93: I ended up updating a few hours later :D**

**ThousandxSunny: Well they're 2ce as long as they were in the beginning, so... ^^; I will! :)**

**(And that wraps up with update! I feel like writing still. It's 4:37am ._. Sleep? Ha! I don't know the meaning of the word! No, I do. But I woke up really late... stop rambling! Ahem. Good day to you, my lovelies, and I hope yoy had a fun read. Adieu~)**


	12. Blank White

**So I'm back with an extra long chapter for you guys! Over 3,000 words, hell yes! We're reaching ****_Divide_****'s level now! But don't get used to it :P It wasn't supposed to end up this long but... one thing led to another and before I know it, I'm faced with over 3,000 words. It grew like an infectious disease. Also it looks like the bonus is going to end up REALLY long. Like ****_Resolve's Mafia_**** long. Okay not THAT long (dear god not again!) but a lot longer than expected, since the introduction is already 2,500 words... I got a little too into it, I'm sorry. I'll post a preview/teaser thing in the AN below so check it out.**

**Question: Has a fanfic ever made you cry? Many have for me. A lot of angelrider's stories (****_Learning Freedom_**** especially - most emotional fic ever, I swear), ****_Kill the Rabbit, Forbidden Fruits..._**** need I continue?**

**Disclaimer: Only own my words, blah blah blah, you get the point.**

* * *

"Who the hell is he? Why is he helping us?" Usopp asked, looking back at Fire Fist as he stood between them and Smoker, flames licking his skin.

"Ace!" their captain exclaimed in surprise, eyes resting on his brother's back.

The Whitebeard commander turned to face the boy, grinning all-the-while. "You never change, Luffy."

"Ace… it's Ace!" Luffy announced as the sight finally registered in his mind. "You ate a devil fruit?"

"Yeah," the narcoleptic confirmed, "the Mera Mera no Mi." Marines flocked over to Smoker, asking for his orders. "Anyways, we can't talk like this. I'll catch up later. Run for it—I'll keep these guys busy."

"Let's go!" the Straw Hat captain commanded as he spun on his heal and dashed off in the other direction, his crew following suit.

The pirate king crouched down, watching as his young crew escaped towards the shore, his brother staying behind to fend off the attacking marines. Deciding to stay and watch from the rooftop of a nearby building, he allowed his features to soften. Watching everything play out just as it had ten years ago made him feel bitter. He recalled that day well—the day he was reunited with his big brother after three years of separation. It was a great day, filled with so much happiness and excitement. The admiration he held for Ace was renewed, seeing how strong he'd become since he set off. But that was also the last day they got to see each other before Marineford—before Ace…

He bit his lip, trying to rid himself of the thought. There was no point in brooding over it; so long as the old man knew what he was doing, things would be different that time around. They would save Ace. He would make it back to his crew _alive_ and when Luffy returned to his time… hopefully he'd be there, waiting.

_Stupid memories…_

"I don't get it," Smoker began, folding his arms as he glared at his foe. "Why did you help Straw Hat?"

Ace's smirk widened, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "Having a little brother who's a bit on the slow side makes me worry."

"What do you mean, 'younger brother'? That means…"

The flames on the pirate's body engulfed him further, coming to life as he readied himself.

"Move, Portgas D. Ace," the marine commanded.

"I don't think so."

The battle between Fire Fist and Smokey was over quickly, seeing as their abilities cancelled each other out. Soon Ace was off chasing after the pirate king's younger self, losing the marines in the smoke and fire created by their clash. But Luffy saw where he ran off to and descended to the ground, beginning a pursuit of his own as he raced down side-streets, hoping not to get noticed by any marines running about—or members of Baroque Works.

Several minutes later found the pirate king running alongside his brother, grinning at the man.

"Luffy?" Ace questioned, blinking. "When did—forget it, it doesn't matter."

They pulled into an alley, managing to go unnoticed. Fire Fist peeked around the corner to search for pursuers and, seeing none, sighed. "Look, I'm not going back, alright? Teach has to pay for what he did."

Luffy's eyebrow twitched. He wanted so much to yell at the man—tell him he was a stupid older brother and that his stubbornness would result in the loss of countless lives only months from then—but held his tongue. He wasn't one to get angry, nor was he supposed to reveal that information. He wanted to _so badly._ Marco said not to, though, and the pineapple was pretty reliable—at least in his time. He would trust him because the Whitebeard pirates were Ace's family, too. They wanted to save him and they were a lot smarter than Luffy so it was best to listen to them.

"I'm not gonna bring you back," he said simply.

Ace was a little dumbstruck by that. Quickly his expression shifted to a mix between curious and confused as he eyed his brother. "Then why'd you come find me?"

The grin the pirate king flashed would have split a normal person's face in half. "I'm coming with you!"

"W-what?" the fire user sputtered, gawking with wide eyes at the older male. "Why? No, wait—you're _not_ coming. This isn't your problem, Luffy."

"It _is _my problem," the rubber man stated, voice running cold and serious as he did. It was his problem because it was Ace's problem. Ace _was_ his problem—his _family._

"…Why?"

Luffy didn't expect him to ask. Going by what he was used to—his memories of the man—he assumed his words would be met with protest and a quick hit on the head, so he was surprised by the question. But then he realized that Ace probably suspected something was up. He knew that he died in the future so of course he would be suspicious. The pirate king needed to get out of answering…

Pouting to relieve the tension in the air, Luffy began, "They kicked me off the ship. Marco said I ate too much." That would convince him, right? Luffy was known for his legendary appetite; Ace couldn't deny that.

"Bullshit," his brother called, crossing his arms and furrowing his brow in disapproval of the lie. How did he know? "They've accommodated my stomach for years. You're going to have to do better than that."

…He had a point. "Then… um…"

Ace sighed, the sternness in his expression quickly slipping to concern. He knew something. "It's fine. You don't want to tell me the reason, right?"

"…Sorry," Luffy murmured with an apologetic look on his face. He really hated how much he was keeping from his brother. Hell, he never even told him why he attacked Blackbeard the day he arrived in the past. It was starting to make him feel guilty.

"Don't be. It has to do with the future, doesn't it?" He waited for the other's nod. "Then it's fine. But I still don't want you traveling with me."

Luffy's pout deepened. "Why not?"

"Because this isn't your fight," Ace stated, moving to lean against the wall. "I don't want you getting involved."

"I won't fight," the pirate king stated, not too sure he could keep to that promise when they met up with Teach. That didn't seem to convince his brother, though. The older pirate simply narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "I'm going with you."

Again, Ace sighed. "Look, Lu—"

"You're not changing my mind. Thatch was my nakama, too, you know." He hoped that sounded convincing. Damn his inability to lie well. But, looking at the hurt then sympathetic expression his sibling soon wore, he realized he might have done a good job.

They stared at each other for a while, neither moving to glance away, before Ace broke under the pirate king's gaze. "Fine, fine," he conceded, scratching the back of his head. "I'm not going to be able to convince you to leave, am I?"

"Shishishi! Nope!"

"Then… I guess… for a little while…"

"Thanks, Ace!"

* * *

"…You're_ our_ Luffy, right?" Usopp asked, eyes narrowed on his captain, filled with suspicion.

The teen blinked, tilting his head to the side. "I don't know, am I?"

Nami sighed. "He's ours, alright."

"Anyways," Zoro began, "I'm not surprised you have a brother, but what's he doing in the Grand Line?"

The confusion slipped from Luffy's face, replaced with a bright smile as he sat cross-legged on Merry's rail. "He's a pirate. He's looking for One Piece," he stated, looking to the sky as he began fondly reciting his past. "Ace is three years older than me, so he left the island three years earlier." The crew could hear the fondness in his tone and was instantly aware of the admiration their captain held for his sibling.

"What're the odds of both of you eating devil fruits?" Sanji asked slumping against the wood of the ship as he smoked.

"I was surprised too, shishishi!" Luffy furrowed his brow, a look of pride entering his eyes. "He didn't eat one before he left. Even then, I could never beat him in a fight. Ace is really strong!"

"Not even once against a regular human?" Nami asked, taken aback, knowing just how strong her captain was. It was a scary thought.

"The brother of a monster is an even bigger monster," Usopp stated, likely imagining just how scary 'big brother' really was if even Luffy was no match for him.

"Yeah, I always got my ass kicked, shishishi! But I could beat him now!" the captain declared confidently, laughing all-the-while.

"That's a groundless statement," Zoro mumbled, going unheard by the other pirate.

"Just who," came a different voice before a figure shot up to the side of the ship, causing the captain to slip from his perch on the rail as he landed and took the younger's place, "can you beat?"

"Ace!" Luffy exclaimed, smiling up at his brother as he rose to his feet.

"Hey everyone," he greeted, bowing his head towards the crew, "thanks for taking care of my brother."

They were shocked by his manners, of course—he was _Luffy's_ _brother_, after all—but it was a welcomed quality.

"So why are you here, Ace?" Luffy asked cheerily.

"Huh?" The commander turned to his sibling. "Didn't you get my message?"

Before the Straw Hat boy could reply, another new—yet familiar—voice sounded. "Nope," it answered for the captain, its owner leaping into view in much the same way Fire Fist did. The man landed on the rail and the crew gasped as they were met with a very, _very_ familiar figure. "What was it, anyways?"

"Forget it; it doesn't matter," Ace replied casually, turning to look at the man who sat cross-legged beside him.

"Luffy!" Nami exclaimed in surprise.

Both of her captains turned to look at her with blank faces before the older grinned. "Hey!" he greeted, waving to the redhead cheerily.

The teen turned to his other self, tilting his head as he looked him over. "You're me?" he asked.

"Yup," the pirate king answered.

There was a moment of silence as the captain processed that before he broke out into the widest of grins, laughing in that unique way he always did. "That's so cool! Hey, Ace, isn't that awesome? There are two of me!"

The crew was speechless, to say the least. Luffy was acting like meeting an older version of his future self was an everyday occurrence. Then again, it _was_ Luffy. He probably thought it was a 'mystery' as he was so prone to think when faced with something he didn't understand.

"Yeah, I know," Ace replied, smirking down at his younger brother, "one was bad enough." Then he turned to the pirate king curiously. "Should you really be here? Wouldn't seeing them change the past?"

"Too late," the older Luffy began, smiling sheepishly as he prepared to be reprimanded, "I kind of ran into them when I was looking for you."

He didn't bother to stop the swift punch to the head his brother gave him.

"Idiot," Ace said, eyebrow twitching. He clearly wasn't too impressed with the man.

"It's not my fault!" the pirate king whined defensively, pouting. "Zoro thought I was the other Luffy and dragged me off!"

Everyone turned to the swordsman, eyeing him expectantly.

"What?" he asked. "Luffy's Luffy."

Well, he had a point.

"Anyways," Ace started, pulling back to the original conversation, "I'm here for a small task so I figured I'd try to meet up with you," he explained, facing the younger Straw Hat. A grin split his face. "Luffy, wanna come join the Whitebeard pirate crew? Your friends can come, too, of course."

"No way," both captains replied, identical pouts on both their faces.

Ace smiled at the younger. "Just thought I'd ask," he stated with a bit of a laugh, turning to the pirate king sooner. "And I didn't ask you, Lu."

"But you _did _ask me," the pirate king stated.

"No, I asked the _other_ you."

"But I'm still me."

Fire Fist sighed, decidedly dropping the topic, knowing he wouldn't get far if he tried to explain it to the moron.

"Whitebeard…" Usopp echoed as he thought, shock crossing his features. As much as the crew wanted to question their future captain, they were just as curious about that mystery brother who just popped out of nowhere. "So the mark on your back is real?"

Ace's features softened, something akin to respect and fondness replacing his usual confidence. The only one who really understood that look was the pirate king—the one who met Ace's captain and spent time with him. Whitebeard… he was a great man. Luffy owed him a lot: letting him stay aboard his ship, his unquestioning acceptance of everything the king told him, his assistance in saving Ace… Back then, when he was in the place of his younger self, he cared nothing for the guy—didn't even know who he was. Up until his arrival in the past, the old guy's name didn't mean much to him. Now, though…

"Yeah," Ace answered, "it's my pride and joy."

After ten years, Luffy truly understood the weight those words carried.

"Whitebeard is the greatest pirate I've ever known," the fire user continued. "I want to make him the pirate king, not you, Luffy."

The pirate king interjected before his young counterpart could reply. "But I'm—" The rest of his words were muffled by the palm of his sibling's hand as it slapped over his mouth, preventing him from revealing his knowledge to the crew.

"Hush," Ace commanded.

His younger self ignored him and went on as if the interruption never occurred. "That's okay! I'll just fight him!" he declared cheerily.

Again, Ace's smile softened. That time was different from the first, the pirate king noticed, and he was reminded of how much his big brother cared for him. A pang in his chest warned him that, if their plan didn't succeed, that was the last time the two would see each other before Marineford—the last time they would talk. There was something in his eyes that Luffy couldn't quite read. He was thinking of something during the quiet that passed within the group.

"Why don't you come inside?" Sanji questioned. "I'll make some tea."

"Oh no, don't worry about us. This'll only take a minute."

Luffy's heart dropped when he saw his brother retrieve a folded paper from his pocket. His body went cold at he stared at that familiar piece of paper—that_ damned_ vivre card he hated so much—beginning to panic on the inside. _No…_

"Here," the commander began as he tossed his younger brother the paper, "I want to give this to you."

_No. No, please no…_

"Huh?" The young captain stared blankly at the card.

"Always keep that with you."

The pirate king's eyes doubled in size, his mind roving over the memories, the ones that replayed over and over again whenever he closed his eyes—that he'd had to live with for the last ten years.

_Don't, Ace. Please don't. Not again._

"It's a piece of paper," the younger stated.

_"It'll allow us to meet again."_

"That piece of paper will let us meet again."

_"Keep it with you, always."_

"Wow…"

"Don't want it?"

"No, I do!"

_"Thank you for loving me."_

Ace gripped his hat, turning to face his brother's crew. "Having a little brother makes an older brother worry." His expression turned sympathetic. "He probably gives you guys lots of trouble, too. Take care of him for me."

Luffy felt like the world was crashing down around him. Those words—that sentence… He couldn't handle it. _Not again._

"What, you're leaving already?" his younger self asked as his brother stood in preparation of his descent to Striker waiting below.

Before Ace could answer, the pirate king rose as well and gripped the commander's bicep, jerking him back. He saw the puzzled look his brother gave him but ignored it, looking down at the water as he tried to calm his racing heart—hide his frustration as he watched that moment in his life repeat itself, leading to the end of his last remaining brother's life. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he couldn't let go of his sibling.

"What is it?" Ace questioned, looking down at the pirate king with a hint of concern. "We have to go—"

"No!" he shouted instinctively, shocking the crew and commander. Quickly he tried to think of something—anything—to say. Everything he was told about not changing the past was erased from his mind as he tried to keep his breaths even.

_"My only regret… is that I didn't get to see you reach your dream. But I'm sure you will. You're my little brother, after all."_

He swallowed, allowing his bangs to fall in his face as he stared at Striker down below. "…Let's stay, just for a bit. I… I miss my crew."

Instead of protests, instead of refusal, he was met with an understanding silence. He felt his brother's arm relax and looked up, eyes gazing over the other's.

"Alright," he conceded, not bothering to put up a fight. The look on his face told Luffy that, even without knowing, he somehow understood. "Just today—we've got to get moving if we're going to catch up to Teach."

Luffy nodded, turning away again, his hand still around his brother's arm. "…Thanks, Ace."

No one questioned him—asked what was wrong. Even ten years before, his crew understood him perfectly. They allowed whatever fears and anxieties present at the time to pass on their own because Luffy was they're captain and they knew without words just how torn up he was. Whatever concerns they had went unsaid.

If Luffy wanted them to know, he would tell them. Until then, they would wait.

_"I'll never die!"_

_Words hurt, Ace._

* * *

**A/N: There you go :D I kinda used a mix of the anime and manga for the canon parts. And if you've noticed why the italics quotes ended up different than what Ace was actually saying then just think about it for a minute - I'm just you'll understand ;) And yes, it's a hint to the plot.**

**Teaser/Preview/Thingy:**

_Shit._

He didn't know where he was or why he was there, but fuck if he cared. There was a searing pain in his chest, leaving him in disrepair as he curled unto himself. What he was doing before then was a mystery, mind fuddled by the hurt that spread from that spot in the center of his chest. He could feel his flames soaring to life as the mess of a pirate tried to return from the disarray his thoughts had fallen to.

It was a while before he realized that his eyes were closed, but he wasn't sure he wanted to open them. As isolated as the darkness made him feel, it also gave him a sense of false security. With it, he didn't have to think. But he knew it wasn't for the best—that he had to get moving. Whatever he was doing before he went to sleep was important. He couldn't just continue on, blissfully unaware; he had to remember and then…

Then he could decide what to do next.

**There you go~ Keep in mind that it might not end up word for word because I do clean up my longer bonuses and fix things up before posting them. It'll be a while before it's done because of how long I'm probably going to end up making it. Want me to post small snippets of it every update until it's finished? If you do, tell me in a review so I know.**

**To my lovelies~**

**samettikettu: Good :D Yep, with Luffy anything's possible. **

**Kuro Neko Kaizoku: I know, right? XD I loved writing that scene. I'm not even sure why. Well... he kind of found out anyways :P I actually do some of my best work while sleep deprived :D**

**sess18: Because each chapter needs an ending and that was the best spot to end it :P Here's the update.**

**Mel72000: You're welcome ^^ Sadly, all really does make sense with Luffy...**

**jam klaoo: Hehe glad you like!**

**Gol G. Liandra: It would be, but he's TRYING (and failing epically) not to change the past too much. Lol that really was his reaction XD Luffy's so predictable.**

**azab: They met! :D**

**ruhiko: Pretty much! I should do a small snippet where the owner comes back and find all of his stock eaten XD**

**OnePieceNarutoBleachFan: Really glad to hear you like it ^^**

**xXxWolvesInTheNightxXx: Glad you like!**

**sairakanzaki: Yes he is, and it's only going to get worse as it goes on! **

**Hyousax Wilson Grim: Here's more! Glad you like his OOC-ness. I had to make him a little different because of how much time passed, so I'm really glad people seem to like the change ^^**

**almakarma18: You're welcome~**

**deadlycute17: I know right?! Here's an update!**

**janzen222: The story isn't about Luffy kicking Blackbeard's ass. I added him only because it was necessary for the plot. Remember: they're trying not to change the past too much. Hope you still like the story despite that.**

**yukiko hyuga-chan: You gotta feel bad for the guy XD**

**99 luffy: I updated chapter 10 not long before chapter 11 though o.o Wasn't even two weeks apart.**

**Deadly in Pink: I've always loved that aspect of Zoro and Luffy's relationship XD Hope this length was even nicer ;)**

**Guest: o.o**

**ichigi111kurosaki: Here's an update! Though remember: got lots of stories to work on so I can't update too often ;)**

**spoons-are-evil: I've always thought that too. They have this weird connection or something XD That's very weird... but it made me laugh :D It might, it might not *is trying desperately to keep from spoilers* Honestly he messed up the timeline when he first arrived on the Moby Dick and said his name - it's been too late the whole story and now he's just digging his own grave, so to speak :P And there interaction is here! And it's very anti-climatic XD Oddly enough it was Ace that commented on that. **

**youshouldn'tneedtoknow: Yes! :D**

**Son Goshen: Lol glad you enjoyed XD Honestly, your review confused me :P Yes, this is a prequel to ****_Resolve_****. It takes place right before the prologue where Luffy visit's Ace's grave. Hopefully that helps :)**

**02FireRains: I always thought those two would make awesome Yonko :D Same, Law and Marco are awesome and I think they get along well with Luffy :) Though Law won't be in this story. He'll be in ****_Resolve_**** later on, if you read that.**

**ThousandxSunny: Glad you like!**

**Vaughn Tyler:^^ **

**Girl-luvs-manga: We'll see about that :P**

**sakura240: Same, it's one of my fav canon scenes XD Here's an update!**

**chibi-twan: HERE!**

**Natylol: You really do XD**

**Ry: Awe thanks so much! Really glad you think so highly of it!**

**lichenstein-blop: So happy to hear that! I have other stories to work on, too, but I promise to work as much as I can on them all, including this one :)**

**Guest (2): As said above, I'll update whenever I can :) Sadly, life likes to get in the way.**

**Kitsune Foxfire: The funny thing is, I didn't realize the name was the same as the one used in canon until after I uploaded it XD I think this chapter answers your question ;)**

**LostFairyMantic: Glad you like!**

**beadwork: So happy you think so ;_; God, when I first started writing this Luffy (back when I first started ****_Resolve,_**** because that came before this) I had SO much trouble writing him. It's a relief to hear some people think I'm doing a good job! Yes, I love Thatch. I blame fanfiction for my love of the guy and it's really hard for me to kill him off XD**

**Chocolate-Tama: Here's an update! Scrolling your review, I have to say that I don't like sweets or babies :P I wouldn't say I got creeped out, just really confused XD**

**Guest (3): I will~ But remember to be patient ^^ **

**Sealing Mistress: More like the whole restaurant :P Yeah, I miss Marco too :/ But we always have my other fics for him! **

**doubledamn: Think of it this way: Ace hasn't seen Luffy since he was 14. Future!Luffy is 27. So there's a lot of maturing to be done over the years. Then, he doesn't have his iconic Straw Hat. Also, Ace isn't going to think it's Luffy right away because as far as he's concerned, his brother is 16 (almost 17) and is currently in East Blue. It's just not something that's easily believable, you know? And it's not like he didn't notice the similarities (he recognized his laugh and all that) it's just that he didn't believe it at first. You'd be surprised how different people can be after 10 years. Yep, met himself this chapter :) It's a prequel, but they can also be read separate from one another. Lol nope, the universe wouldn't implode. It won't get to the timeskip, sadly. I've planned out the whole fic all of the way up to the last chapter and it ends before that. Thanks for the reviews~**

**(Alright, that concludes this update. I've noticed a lot of new reviewers and I'd like to thank all of you for reading my fic and leaving feedback - it really motivated me to get this chapter up ^^ Thank you all so very, very much. I'll be back with another chapter when I can. Until then, feel free to check out my other fics, see if one piques your interest, and also you're welcome to rant about the teaser-thing :P Next I'm going to try updating ****_Imagined Life_**** but that can wait until tomorrow. Adieu~)**


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